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Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

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http://www.archive.org/details/briefexpositionoOOswedrich 


BRIEF    EXPOSITION 


OF    THE 


..OCTRINE 


OF 


THE    NEW    CHURCH, 


WHICH  IS  MEANT  BY  THE 


NEW  JERUSALEM  IN  THE  APOCALYPSE. 


TRANSLATED    FROM    THE    LATIN    OF 

EMANUEL    SWEDENBORG, 

ORIGINALLY   PUBLISHED   AT   AMSTERDAM   IN   THE   YEAR    1769. 


I  John  saw  the  holy  city,  New  Jerusalem,  coming  down  from  God  out  of  heaven,  pre- 
pared as  a  Bride  adorned  for  her  Husband.  And  He  that  sat  upon  the  throne  said, 
Behold  I  make  all  things  new:  and  He  said  unto  nie,  Write,  for  these  words  are  true) 
and  faithful Apocalypse,  chap.  xxi.  verse  2,  5. 


Library 


ii  cistern : 

PUBLISHED   BY  ADONIS   HOWARD, 

School  Street,  near  Washington  Street. 

1830. 


J     t  ' 


CONTENTS. 

Page. 


IjlTKODUCTIOIC .  .  ....  ...  •  •  •  •  •         A 

The  Doctrinals  of  the  Roman  Catholics  concerning  Justification,  from  the  Council  of 

The  Doctrinals  of  the  Protestants  concerning  Justification,  from  the  Formula  Con- 

cordiae «J 

A  Sketch  of  the  Doctrinals  of  the  New  Church 14 

The  Disagreements  between  the  Tenets  of  the  Old  and  New  Church,  considered  un- 

der  XXV  Articles from  page  14  to  G3 

I.  That  the  Churches,  which  by  the  Reformation  separated  themselves  from 
the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  dissent  in  various  Points  of  Doctrine  ;  but  that 
they  all  agree  in  the  Articles  concerning  a  Trinity  of  Persons  in  the  God- 
head, Original  Sin  from  Adam,  Imputation  of  the  Merit  of  Christ,  and  Jus- 
tification Dy  Faith  alone 15 

II.  That  the  Roman  Catholics,  before  the  Reformation,  held  and  taught  exact- 
ly the  same  Things  as  the  Reformed  did  after  it,  in  Respect  to  the  four  Arti- 
cles above  mentioned,  namely,  a  Trinity  of  Persons  in  the  Godhead,  Original 
Sin,  Imputation  of  the  Merit  of  Christ,  and  Justification  by  Faith  therein  ; 
only  with  this  difference,  that  they  conjoined  that  Faith  with  Charity  or 
Good  Works 16 

III.  That  the  leading  Reformers,  Luther,  Melancthon,  and  Calvin,  retained  all 
the  Tenets  concerning  a  Trinity  of  Persons  in  the  Godhead,  Original  Sin, 
Imputation  of  the  Merits  of  Christ,  and  Justification  by  Faith,  just  as  they 
were  and  had  been  among  the  Roman  Catholics ;  but  that  they  separated 
Charity  or  Good  Works  from  that  Faith,  and  declared  that  they  were  not  at 
the  same  Time  of  a  saving  Efficacy,  with  a  View  to  be  totally  severed  from 
the  Roman  Catholics  as  to  the  very  Essentials  of  the  Church,  which  are  Faith 
and  Charity 17 

IV.  That  nevertheless  the  leading  Reformers  adjoined  Good  Works,  and  even 
conjoined  them,  to  their  Faith,  but  in  Man  as  a  passive  Subject;  whereas 
the  Roman  Catholics  conjoin  them  in  Man  as  an  active  Subject  j  and  that 
notwithstanding  there  is  actually  a  Conformity  between  the  one  and  the 
other  as  to  Faith,  Works,  and  Merits 18 

V.  That  the  whole  System  of  Theology  in  the  Christian  World,  at  this  Day,  is 
founded  on  an  Idea  of  Three  Gods,  arising  from  the  Doctrine  of  a  Trinity 

of  Persons 20 

VI.  That  the  Tenets  of  the  aforesaid  Theology  appear  to  be  erroneous,  after  the 
Idea  of  a  Trinity  of  Persons,  and  the  consequent  Idea  of  Three  Gods,  has  been 
rejected,  and  the  Idea  of  One  God,  in  whom  is  a  Divine  Trinity,  received  in 

its  stead 24 

VII.  That  then  true  saving  Faith,  which  is  a  Faith  in  One  God,  united  with  Good 

Works,  is  acknowledged  and  received 25 

VIII.  And  that  this  Faith  is  in  God  the  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  which  in  its  simple 
Form  is  as  follows  :  I.  That  there  is  One  God,  in  whom  is  a  Divine  Trinity, 
and  that  He  is  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  II.  That  saving  Faith  is  to  believe  in 
Him.  III.  That  evils  ought  to  be  shunned,  because  they  are  of  the  Devil  and 
from  the  Devil.  IV.  That  Good  Works  ought  to  be  done,  because  they  are  of 
God  and  from  God.  V.  And  that,  they  ought  to  be  done  by  Man  as  of  himself, 
but  with  a  belief,  that  they  are  from  the  Lord,  operating  in  Him  and  bv  Him    26 

IX.  That  the  Faith  of  the  present  Day  has  separated  Religion  from  the  C!.u«<*h, 
since  Religion  consists  in  the  Acknowledgment  of  One  God,  and  u)  ihe 
Worship  of  Him,  from  Faith  grounded  in  Charity 28 

X.  That  the  Faith  of  the  presenl  Church  cannot  be  conjoined  with  Charity, 

and  produce  any  Fruits,  which  are  Good  Works 30 

XI.  That  from  the  Faith  of  the  present  Church,  there  results  a  Worshio  of  the 
Mouth  and  not  of  the  Life,  whereas  the  Worship  of  the  Mouth  is  accepted 
by  the  Lord,  in  Proportion  as  it  proceeds  from  the  Worship  oft  he  hi'e  ...  31 
XII.  That  the  Doctrine  of  the  present  Church  is  interwoven  with  many  Para- 
doxes, which  are  to  lie  embraced  by  Faith  ;  and  that  therefore  its  Tenets 
gain  Admission  into  the  Memory  only,  and  not  into  any  Part  of  the  Un- 
derstanding above  the  Memory,  but  merely  into  Confirmations  below  it  . . .  32 
XIII.  That  the  Tenets  of  the  present  Church  cannot  be  learnt  and  retained  with- 
out great  Difficulty,  nor  can  they  be  preached  or  taught  without  using  great 
Care  and  Caution  to  conceal  their  Nakedness,  because  sound  Reason  neither 
discerns  nor  perceives  them 35 


IT  CONTENTS. 

Page. 

XIV.  That  the  Doctrine  of  the  Faith  of  the  present  Church  ascribes  to  God  hu- 
man Properties  ;  as  that  He  beheld  Man  from  Anger,  that  He  required  to  be 
reconciled,  that  He  is  reconciled  through  the  Love  He  bore  towards  the  Son, 
and  by  His  Intercession  ;  and  that  He  required  to  be  appeased  by  the  Sight 
of  His  Son's  Sufferings,  and  thus  to  be  brought  back  to  Mercy  ;  and  that 
He  imputes  the  Righteousness  of  His  Son  to  an  unrighteous  Man  who  sup- 
plicates it  from  Faith  alone  ;  and  that  thus  from  an  Enemy  He  makes  Him 
a  Friend,  and  from  a  Child  of  Wrath  a  Child  of  Grace 

XV.  That  from  the  Faith  of  the  present  Church  have  been  produced  monstrous 
Births  ;  such  as  instantaneous  Salvation  by  an  immediate  Act  of  Mercy  : 
Predestination  ;  the  Notions  that  God  has  no  Respect  unto  the  Actions  of 
Men,  but  unto  Faith  alone;  that  there  is  no  Connexion  between  Charity 
and  Faith;  that  Man  in  Conversion  is  like  a  Stock,  with  many  more  Here- 
sies of  the  same  Kind  ;  likewise  concerning  the  Sacraments  of  Baptism  and 
the  Holy  Supper,  as  to  the  Advantages  reasonably  to  be  expected  from  them, 
when  considered  according  to  the  Doctrine  of  Justification  by  Faith  alone  ; 
as  also  with  Regard  to  the  Person  of  Christ :  and  that  the  Heresies  from 
the  first  Ages  to  the  present  Day,  have  sprung  up  from  no  other  Source, 
than  from  the  Doctrine  founded  on  the  Idea  of  Three  Gods 39 

XVI.  That  the  last  State  of  the  present,Churcb,  when  it  is  at  an  End,  is  meant 
by  the  Consummation  of  the  Age,  and  the  Coming  of  the  Lord  at  that  Pe- 
riod, Matt.  xxiv.  3 40 

XVII.  That  the  Infestation  from  Falses,  and  thence  the  Consummation  of  every 
Truth,  or  the  Desolation  which  at  this  Day  prevails  in  the  Christian 
Churches,  is  meant  by  the  great  Affliction,  such  as  was  not  from  the  Begin- 
ning of  the  World,  nor  ever  shall  be,  Matt.  xxiv.  21 41 

XVIII.  That  there  would  be  neither  Love,  nor  Faith,  nor  the  Knowledge  of  Good 
and  Truth,  in  the  last  Time  of  the  Christian  Church,  when  it  draws  to  an 
End,  is  understood  by  these  Words  in  the  same  24th  Chapter  of  Matthew  : 
tt  After  the  Affliction  of  those  Days,  the  Sun  shall  be  darkened,  and  the 
Moon  shall  not  give  her  Light,  and  the  Stars  shall  fall  from  Heaven,  and 

the  Powers  of  the  Heavens  shall  be  shaken,"  verse  29 42 

XIX.  That  they  who  are  in  the  present  justifying  Faith,  are  meant  by  the  He- 
Goats  in  Daniel  and  in  Matthew 51 

XX.  That  they  who  have  confirmed  themselves  in  the  present  justifying  Faith, 
are  meant  in  the  Apocalypse  by  the  Dragon  and  his  two  Beasts, and  by  the 
Locusts ;  and  that  this  same  Faith,  when  confirmed,  is  there  meant  by  the 
great  City  which  is  spiritually  called  Sodom  and  Egypt,  where  the  two  Wit- 
nesses were  slain,  as  also  by  the  Pit  of  the  Abyss,  whence  the  Locusts  came 

forth 53 

XXI.  That  unless  a  New  Church  be  established  by  the  Lord,  no  one  can  be  saved  ; 
and  that  this  is  meant  by  these  words:  "Unless  those  Days  should  be 
shortened,  there  should  noFlesh  be  saved,"  Matt.  xxiv.  22 55 

XXII.  That  the  Opening  and  Rejection  of  the  Tenets  of  the  Faith  of  the  present 
Church,  and  the  Revelation  and  Reception  of  the  Tenets  of  the  Faith  of 
the  New  Church,  is  meant  by  these  words  in  the  Apocalypse:  "  He  that 
sat  upon  the  Throne  said,  behold,  I  will  make  all  things  new  ;  and  He  said 
unto  me,  Write,  for  these  Words  are  true  and  faithful,"  chap.  xxi.  5 57 

XXIII.  That  the  New  Church  about  to  be  established  by  the  Lord,  is  the  New  Je- 
rusalem, treated  of  in  the  Apocalypse,  Chap.  xxi.  and  xxii.,  which  is  there 
called  the  Bride  and  the  Wife  of  the  Lamb 59 

XXIV.  That  the  Faith  of  the  New  Church  cannot  by  any  means  be  together  with 
the  Faith  of  the  former  Church,  and  that  in  Case  they  be  together,  such  a 
Collision  and  Conflict  will  ensue,  as  to  destroy  every  Thing  relating  to  the 
Church  in  Man 63 

XXV.  That  the  Roman  Catholics  of  this  Day  know  Nothing  of  the  Imputation  of 
the  Merit  of  Christ,  and  of  Justification  by  Faith  therein,  into  which  their 
Church  was  first  initiated,  because  it  is  entirely  concealed  under  their  ex- 
ternal Forms  of  Worship,  which  are  numerous ;  for  which  Reason,  there- 
fore, if  they  recede  but  in  Part  from  their  external  Forms  of  Worship,  and 
immediately  approach  God  the  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  and  administer  the 
holy  Eucharist  in  both  Kinds,  they  may  be  brought  into  the  New  Jerusalem, 
or  the  New  Church  of  the  Lord,  more  easily  than  the  Reformed 64 


Remarks  on  Imputation 67 

Two  Memorable  Relations  taken  from  the  Apocalypse  Revealed 73 

ArrXNDix,  containing  the  Faith  of  the  New  Heaven  and  New  Church  in  its  univer- 
sal Form,  and  three  Memorable  Relations  from  the  Apocalypse  Revealed . .  79 


A 

BRIEF  EXPOSITION 


Library* 


DOCTRINE  OF  THE  NEW  CHURCH, 

WHICH    IS    MEANT    BY    THE    NEW    JERUSALEM, 
IN    THE    APOCALYPSE. 


1.  Several  works  and  tracts  having  been  published  by 
me,  during  some  years  past,  concerning  the  New  Jerusalem, 
whereby  is  meant  a  New  Church  about  to  be  established  by 
the  Lord,  and  the  Apocalypse  having  been  revealed,  I  am 
come  to  a  determination  to  lay  before  the  world  a  complete 
view  of  the  doctrine  of  that  church  in  its  full  extent ;  but,  as 
this  is  a  work  of  some  years,  I  have  thought  it  advisable  to 
draw  up  some  sort  of  sketch  thereof,  in  order  that  a  general 
idea  may  first  be  formed  of  that  church  and  its  doctrine  ; 
because  when  general  principles  precede,  then  the  several 
particulars  will  appear  at  full  in  a  clear  light,  for  these  enter 
into  general  principles,  as  things  homogeneous  into  their 
proper  receptacles.  This  compendium,  however,  is  not 
designed  for  critical  examination,  but  is  barely  offered  to  the 
world  by  way  of  information,  as  its  contents  will  be  proved 
at  large  in  the  work  itself.  But  it  is  necessary  first  to  state 
the  doctrinals  at  present  maintained  concerning  justification, 
that  the  following  contrast  between  the  doctrines  of  the 
present  church,  and  those  of  the  New  Church,  may  be  clearly 
understood. 


The  Doctrinals  of  the  Roman   Catholics  concerning 
Justification,  from  the  Council  of  Trent. 

2.  In  the  bull  of  pope  Pius  IV.,  dated  13th  November, 
1564,  are  the  following  words  :  "  I  embrace  and  receive  every 
thing,  both  generally  and  particularly,  which  the  most  holy 


2  A    BRIEF    EXPOSITION    OF    THE 

Council  of  Trent  hath  determined  and  declared  concerning 
Original  Sin  and  Justification." 

3.  From  the  Council  of  Trent,  concerning  Original  Sin. 

(a)  That  Adam,  by  his  transgression,  experienced  an  entire 
change  and  depravation  of  nature,  both  in  body  and  soul ; 
and  that  the  ill  effects  of  Adam's  transgression  were  not 
confined  to  himself,  but  also  extended  to  his  posterity  ;  and 
that  it  not  only  transmitted  death  and  corporal  sufferings 
upon  all  mankind,  but  likewise  sin,  which  is  the  death  of  the 
soul,  Sess.  v.  1,2.  (b)  That  this  sin  of  Adam,  which  origi- 
nally was  a  single  transgression,  and  has  been  transmitted  by 
propagation,  and  not  by  imitation,  is  so  implanted  in  the  na- 
ture of  every  man,  as  to  be  his  own,  and  cannot  be  done  away 
by  any  other  means  than  by  the  merits  of  the  only  Saviour 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  hath  reconciled  us  to  God  by  His 
blood,  being  made  unto  us  righteousness,  sanctification,  and 
redemption,  Sess.  v.  3.  (c)  That,  by  the  transgression  of 
Adam,  all  men  lost  their  innocence,  and  became  unclean,  and 
by  nature  the  children  of  wrath,  Sess.  vi.  chap.  1. 

4.  Concerning  Justification.  (a)  That  our  heavenly  Father, 
the  Father  of  Mercies,  sent  Christ  Jesus  his  Son  into  the 
world,  in  the  blessed  fullness  of  time,  as  well  to  the  Jews  who 
were  under  the  law,  as  to  the  Gentiles  who  followed  not  after 
righteousness,  that  they  might  all  lay  hold  of  righteousness, 
and  receive  the  adoption  of  sons.  Him  God  offered  to  be  a 
propitiation  through  faith  in  His  blood,  not  only  for  our  sins, 
but  likewise  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world,  Sess.  vi.  chap.  2. 

(b)  Nevertheless,  all  do  not  receive  the  benefit  of  His  death, 
but  only  they  to  whom  the  merit  of  His  passion  is  communi- 
cated ;  so  that,  unless  they  are  born  again  in  Christ,  they  can 
never  be  justified,  Sess.  vi.  chap.  3.  (c)  That  the  beginning 
of  justification  is  to  be  derived  from  the  preventing  grace  of 
God  through  Christ  Jesus,  that  is,  from  His  call,  Sess.  vi. 
chap.  5.  (c)  That  men  are  disposed  to  righteousness,  when, 
being  stirred  up  by  divine  grace,  and  conceiving  faith  by 
hearing,  they  are  freely  moved  towards  God,  believing  those 
things  to  be  true  which  are  divinely  revealed  and  promised  ; 
and  especially  this,  that  the  ungodly  are  justified  by  God 
through  His  grace,  through  redemption,  which  is  by  Christ 
Jesus ;  and  when,  being  convinced  of  sin  from  the  fear  of 
divine  justice,  by  which  they  are  profitably  disquieted,  they 
are  encouraged  to  hope,  and  to  trust  that  God,  for  Christ's 
sake,  will  be  propitious  to  them,  Sess.  vi.  chap.  6.  (d)  That 
the  consequence  of  this  disposition  and  preparation  is  actual 


DOCTRINE    OF    THE    NEW    CHURCH.  ti 

justification,  which  is  not  only  a  remission  of  sins,  but  like- 
wise a  sanctification  and  renovation  of  the  interior  man,  by 
the  reception  of  divine  grace  and  gifts,  whereby  man  from 
being  unrighteous  becomes  righteous,  and  from  being  an  ene- 
my a  friend,  so  as  to  be  an  heir  according  to  the  hope  of  eter- 
nal life,  Sess.  vi.  chap.  7.  (e)  The  final  cause  of  justification 
is  the  glory  of  God  and  of  Christ,  and  life  eternal.  The  effi- 
cient cause  is  God,  who  freely  cleanses  and  sanctifies.  The 
meritorious  cause  is  the  dearly-beloved  and  only-begotten  Son 
of  God,  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who,  when  we  were  enemies, 
through  tho  great  love  wherewith  He  loved  us,  by  His  most 
holy  passion  upon  the  cross,  merited  for  us  justification,  and 
made  satisfaction  for  us  to  God  the  Father.  The  instrumental 
cause  is  the  sacrament  of  baptism,  which  is  a  sacrament  of 
faith,  without  which  none  can  ever  be  justified.  The  formal 
cause  is  the  sole  righteousness  of  God  ;  not  that  whereby  He 
is  righteous  Himself,  but  that  whereby  He  makes  us  righteous, 
with  which  being  gifted  by  Him,  we  are  renewed  in  the  spirit 
of  our  mind  ;  and  are  not  only  reputed  righteous,  but  are 
truly  called  righteous,  and  are  so  in  reality,  each  according  to 
that  measure  which  the  Holy  Spirit  imparts  to  every  one  as  it 
pleaseth  Him,  Sess.  vi.  chap.  7,  §2.  (f)  That  justification 
is  a  translation  from  that  state,  wherein  man  is  born  a  child 
of  the  first  Adam,  into  a  state  of  grace  and  adoption  among 
the  sons  of  God  by  the  second  Adam,  our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ, 
Sess.  vi.  chap.  4. 

5.  Concerning  Faith,  Charity,  Good  Works,  and  Merits. 
(a)  When  the  apostle  declares,  that  man  is  justified  by  faith, 
and  freely,  these  words  are  to  be  understood  in  the  sense 
wherein  the  Catholic  church  haa  uniformly  held  and  express- 
ed them,  to  wit,  that  we  are  said  to  be  justified  by  faith,  be- 
cause faith  is  the  commencement  of  man's  salvation,  the  foun- 
dation and  root  of  all  justification,  without  which  it  is  impos- 
sible to  please  God,  and  attain  to  the  fellowship  of  His  chil- 
dren :  but  we  are  said  to  be  justified  freely,  because  none  of 
those  things  which  precede  justification,  whether  faith  or 
works,  merit  the  actual  grace  of  justification ;  for  if  it  be 
grace,  it  is  not  of  works,  otherwise  grace  would  not  be  grace, 
Sess.  vi.  chap.  8.  (b)  Although  none  can  be  righteous,  but 
they  to  whom  the  merits  of  the  passion  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  are  communicated,  nevertheless  that  is  effected  in  jus- 
tification, when,  by  the  merit  of  the  same  most  holy  passion, 
the  love  of  God  is  infused  by  the  Holy  Ghost  into  the  hearts 
of  those  who  are  justified,  and  abideth  in  them :  hence,  in 


4  A  BRIEF  EXPOSITION  OF  THE 

the  act  of  justification,  man  receives,  together  with  the  re- 
mission of  his  sins,  all  these  things  infused  into  him  at  once 
by  Jesus  Christ,  in  whom  he  is  ingrafted  by  faith,  hope,  and 
charity  :  for  faith,  unless  charity  be  added  to  it,  neither  unites 
perfectly  to  Christ,  nor  constitutes  a  living  member  of  His 
body,  Sess.  vi.  chap.  7,  §  3.  (c)  That  Christ  is  not  only  a 
Redeemer,  in  whom  we  are  to  have  faith,  but  also  a  Lawgiver, 
whom  we  must  obey,  Sess.  vi.  chap.  16,  can.  21.  (d)  That 
faith  without  works  is  dead  and  vain,  because  in  Christ  Je- 
sus neither  circumcision  availeth  any  thing,  nor  uncircum- 
cision,  but  faith  which  worketh  by  love  :  for  faith  without  hope 
and  charity  cannot  avail  unto  eternal  life  ;  wherefore  also  they 
hearken  to  the  word  of  Christ,  "  If  thou  wilt  enter  into  life, 
keep  the  commandments:"  thus  they  who  are  born  again, 
receiving  true  Christian  righteousness,  are  commanded  to  keep 
it  white  and  unspotted,  as  their  first  robe,  given  them  by  Je- 
sus Christ,  instead  of  that  which  Adam  lost  both  for  himself 
and  us  by  his  disobedience,  that  they  may  present  it  before 
the  tribunal  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  obtain  eternal  life, 
Sess.  vi.  chap.  7,  §  4.  (e)  That  there  is  a  continual  influx 
of  power  from  Jesus  Christ  Himself  into  those  who  are  justi- 
fied, as  from  a  head  into  the  members,  and  from  a  vine  into 
the  branches  ;  which  power  always  precedes,  accompanies  and 
follows  their  good  works,  and  without  which  they  could  not 
by  any  means  be  acceptable  and  meritorious  in  the  sight  of 
God ;  wherefore  we  are  to  believe,  that  nothing  more  is  want- 
ing to  those  who  are  justified ;  but  they  may  be  fully  assured, 
that  by  those  works  which  have  been  wrought  in  God,  they 
have  merited  eternal  life,  which  will  be  bestowed  upon  them 
in  due  time,  Sess.  vi.  chap.  10.  (f)  When  we  speak  of  our 
own  righteousness,  we  do  not  mean  as  though  it  were  our  own 
from  ourselves ;  for  that  which  is  termed  our  righteousness,  is 
the  righteousness  of  God,  being  infused  into  us  by  God  through 
the  merit  of  Christ :  far  be  it,  therefore,  from  any  Christian 
man  to  trust  or  glory  in  himself,  and  not  in  the  Lord,  whose 
goodness  towards  us  men  is  so  great,  that  he  vouchsafes  to 
regard  those  things  as  our  merits,  which  are  His  own  gifts, 
Sess.  vi.  chap.  16.  (s)  For  of  ourselves,  as  of  ourselves,  we 
can  do  nothing;  but  by  His  co-operation,  who  strengthens 
us,  we  can  do  all  things :  thus  man  hath  not  whereof  to  glory, 
but  all  our  glory  is  in  Christ,  in  whom  we  live,  in  whom  we 
merit,  in  whom  we  make  satisfaction,  bringing  forth  fruits 
worthy  of  repentance,  which  have  their  efficacy  from  Him, 
are  offered  unto  the  Father  by  Him,  and  are  accepted  by  the 


DOCTRINE  OF  THE  NEW  CHURCH.  5 

Father  through  Him,  Sess.  xiv.  chap.  8.  (h)  Whosoever  shall 
say  that  man  may  be  justified  in  the  sight  of  God  by  his  own 
works,  which  are  done  either  through  the  powers  of  human 
nature,  or  through  the  teaching  of  the  law,  without  divine 
grace  through  Christ  Jesus,  let  him  be  accursed,  Sess.  vi.  can. 
1.  (')  Whosoever  shall  say,  that  man  may  believe,  hope,  and 
love,  (that  is,  have  faith,  hope,  and  charity,)  as  is  necessary 
in  order  that  the  grace  of  justification  may  be  conferred  upon 
him,  without  the  preventing  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
and  His  assistance,  let  him  be  accursed,  Sess.  vi.  can.  2. 
(k)  Whosoever  shall  say,  that  man  is  justified  without  the 
righteousness  of  Christ,  whereby  he  hath  merited  for  us,  let 
him  be  accursed,  Sess.  vi.  can.  10.  Not  to  mention  many 
more  passages,  principally  relating  to  the  conjunction  of  faith 
with  charity  or  good  works,  and  condemning  their  separa- 
tion. 

6.  Concerning  Free-will.  (a)  That  free-will  is  by  no  means 
destroyed  by  Adam's  sin,  although  it  is  debilitated  and  warped 
thereby,  Sess.  vi.  chap.  1.  (b)  Whosoever  shall  say,  that  the 
free-will  of  man,  when  moved  and  stirred  up  by  God,  cannot 
at  all  co-operate  by  concurring  with  God,  who  stirreth  it  up 
and  calleth  it,  whereby  man  may  dispose  and  prepare  him- 
self to  receive  the  grace  of  justification ;  or  that  he  cannot 
dissent  if  he  would,  but  that,  like  a  thing  inanimate,  he  is 
merely  passive,  and  has  not  the  least  power  of  action,  let  him 
be  accursed,  Sess.  vi.  can.  4. 

7.  The  Doetrinals  of  the  Roman  Catholics  concerning  Jus- 
tification, as  collected  from  the  Decrees  of  the  Council  of 
Trent,  may  be  summed  up  and  arranged  in  a  series  thus. 
That  the  sin  of  Adam  is  transfused  into  the  whole  human 
race,  whereby  his  state,  and  likewise  the  state  of  all  men,  be- 
came perverted,  and  alienated  from  God,  and  thus  they  were 
made  enemies  and  children  of  wrath ;  that  therefore  God  the 
Father  graciously  sent  His  Son  to  reconcile,  expiate,  atone, 
satisfy,  and  thus  to  redeem,  by  being  made  righteousness. 
That  Christ  accomplished  and  fulfilled  all  this,  by  offering  up 
Himself  a  sacrifice  to  God  the  Father  upon  the  cross,  and 
thus  by  his  passion  and  blood.  That  Christ  alone  hath  merit- 
ed, and  that  this  His  merit  is  graciously  imputed,  attributed, 
applied,  and  transferred,  to  the  man  who  is  recipient  thereof, 
by  God  the  Father  through  the  Holy  Spirit;  and  that  thus 
the  sin  of  Adam  is  removed  from  man ;  concupiscence,  how- 
ever, still  remaining  in  him  as  an  incentive  to  sin.  That  jus- 
tification is  the  remission  of  sins,  and   that  from  thence  a 

1* 


6  A  BRIEF  EXPOSITION  OF  THE 

renovation  of  the  interior  man  takes  place,  whereby  man  from 
an  enemy  becomes  a  friend,  and  from  being  a  child  of  wrath, 
a  child  of  grace ;  and  that  thus  union  with  Christ  is  effected, 
and  the  regenerate  person  becomes  a  living  member  of  His 
body. 

8.  That  faith  comes  by  hearing,  when  a  man  believes  those 
things  to  be  true  which  are  revealed  from  heaven,  and  trusts 
in  the  promises  of  God.  That  faith  is  the  beginning  of  man's 
salvation,  the  foundation  and  root  of  all  justification,  without 
which  it  is  impossible  to  please  God,  and  enter  into  the  fel- 
lowship of  His  children  ;  that  justification  is  brought  about  by 
faith,  hope,  and  charity ;  and  that,  unless  faith  be  accompa- 
nied by  hope  and  charity,  it  is  not  living  but  dead,  and  inca- 
pable of  effecting  union  with  Christ.  That  it  is  man's  duty 
to  co-operate ;  that  he  has  the  power  to  approach  and  recede, 
otherwise  nothing  could  be  given  unto  him,  for  he  would  be 
like  an  inanimate  corpse.  That,  inasmuch  as  the  reception  of 
justification  reneweth  man,  and  as  this  is  effected  by  the  ap- 
plication of  the  merit  of  Christ,  during  man's  co-operation,  it 
follows  that  works  are  meritorious ;  but  inasmuch  as  they  are 
done  from  grace,  and  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  as  Christ  alone 
hath  merited,  therefore  God  considers  His  own  gifts  in  man 
as  meritorious ;  whence  it  follows,  that  no  one  ought  to  at- 
tribute any  thing  of  merit  to  himself. 

The  Doctrinals  of  the  Protestants  concerning  Justi- 
fication, from  the  Formula  Concordia. 

The  book  from  whence  the  following  extracts  are  collected, 
is  called  Formula  Concordia,  or  Form  of  Concord,  and  was 
composed  by  persons  attached  to  the  Augsburg  confession ; 
and  as  the  pages  will  be  cited  where  the  quotations  are  to  be 
met  with,  it  is  proper  to  observe,  that  I  have  made  use  of  the 
edition  printed  at  Leipsic  in  the  year  1756. 

10.  From  the  Formula  Concordia),  concerning  Original  Sin. 
(a)  That  since  the  fall  of  Adam,  all  men  naturally  descended 
from  him  are  born  in  sin,  which  brings  damnation  and  eter- 
nal death  upon  those  who  are  not  regenerated,  and  that  the 
merit  of  Christ  is  the  only  means  whereby  they  are  regenerat- 
ed, consequently  the  only  remedy  whereby  they  are  restored, 
page  9,  10,  52,  53,  55,  317,  641,  644,  and  Appendix,  p.  138, 
139.  (b)  That  original  sin  is  such  a  total  corruption  of  nature, 
that  there  is  no  spiritual  soundness  in  the  powers  of  man  either 
as  to  his  soul  or  body,  p.  574.    (c)  That  it  is  the  source  of  all 


DOCTRINE  OF  THE  NEW  CHURCH.  7 

actual  sins,  p.  317,  577,  639,  640,  942,  Appendix,  pJ39. 
(d)  That  it  is  a  total  absence  or  privation  of  the  image  oftod, 
p.  640.  (e)  That  we  ought  to  distinguish  between  our  nature, 
such  as  God  created  it,  and  original  sin,  which  dwelleth  in 
our  nature,  p.  645.  (')  Moreover  original  sin  is  there  styled 
the  work  of  the  devil,  spiritual  poison,  the  root  of  all  evils,  an 
accident  and  a  quality;  whereas  onr  nature  is  there  styled 
the  work  and  creature  of  God,  the  personality  of  man,  a  sub» 
stance  and  an  essence  ;  and  that  the  difference  between  them 
is  the  same  as  the  difference  between  a  man  infected  with  a 
disease  and  the  disease  itself. 

11.  Of  Justification  by  Faith.  The  general  principles 
are  these  :  (a)  That  by  the  Word  and  sacraments  the  Holy 
Ghost  is  given,  who  effects  faith  when  and  where  he  pleases, 
in  those  who  hear  the  gospel.  (b)  That  contrition,  justifica- 
tion by  faith,  renovation,  and  good  works,  follow  in  due  order ; 
that  they  are  to  be  properly  distinguished  one  from  the  other ; 
and  that  contrition  and  good  works  do  not  avail  any  thing 
unto  salvation,  but  faith  alone.  (c)  That  justification  by  faith 
alone  is  remission  of  sins,  deliverance  from  damnation,  recon- 
ciliation with  the  Father,  adoption  as  sons,  and  is  effected 
by  the  imputation  of  the  merit  or  righteousness  of  Christ. 
(d)  That  hence  Faith  is  that  essential  righteousness,  whereby 
we  are  accounted  righteous  before  God,  and  that  it  is  a  trust 
and  confidence  in  grace.  (e)  That  renovation,  which  follows, 
is  vivification,  regeneration,  and  sanctification.  (*)  That  good 
works,  which  are  the  fruits  of  faith,  being  in  themselves  works 
of  the  spirit,  follow  that  renovation.  (§)  That  this  faith  may 
be  lost  by  grievous  sins.  The  general  principles  concerning 
the  Law  and  the  Gospel  are  these  :  (h)  That  we  must  careful- 
ly distinguish  between  the  law  and  the  gospel,  and  between 
the  works  of  the  law  and  the  works  of  the  spirit,  which  are 
the  fruits  of  faith.  (')  That  the  law  is  a  doctrine  which  teaches 
that  man  is  in  sin,  and  therefore  under  condemnation  and  the 
wrath  of  God,  thus  exciting  terror;  but  that  the  gospel  is  a 
doctrine  which  teaches  atonement  for  sin,  and  deliverance 
from  damnation  by  Christ,  and  thus  a  doctrine  of  consolation. 
(k)  That  there  are  three  uses  of  the  law,  viz.  to  keep  the 
wicked  within  bounds,  to  bring  men  to  an  acknowledgment 
of  their  sins,  and  to  hold  up  to  the  regenerate  a  rule  of  life. 
(*)  That  the  regenerate  are  in  the  law,  but  not  under  the  law, 
for  they  are  under  grace.  (m)  That  it  is  the  duty  of  the  re- 
generate to  exercise  themselves  in  the  law,  because,  during 
their  life  in  the  world,  they  are  prompted  to  sin  by  the  lusts 


D  A  BRIEF  EXPOSITION  OP  THE 

of  tite  flesh ;  but  that  they  become  pure  and  perfect  after 
deam  (n)  That  the  regenerate  are  also  chastised  by  the 
Holy  Ghost,  and  endure  various  afflictions,  but  that  neverthe- 
less they  keep  the  law  willingly,  and  thus,  being  the  children 
of  God,  live  in  obedience  to  the  law.  (°)  That  with  those 
who  are  not  regenerated  the  veil  of  Moses  still  remaineth  be- 
fore their  eyes,  and  the  old  Adam  beareth  rule  ;  but  that  with 
the  regenerate,  the  veil  of  Moses  is  taken  away,  and  the  old 
Adam  brought  into  subjection,  or  crucified. 

12.  Particulars  from  the  Formula  Concordia,  concerning 
Justification  by  Faith  without  the  Works  of  the  Law. 
(a)  That  faith  is  imputed  for  righteousness  without  works,  on 
account  of  the  merit  of  Christ  which  is  laid  hold  of  by  faith, 
p.  78,  79,  80,  584,  689.  (»)  That  charity  follows  justifying 
faith,  but  that  faith  does  not  justify  as  being  formed  by  chari- 
ty, as  the  Papists  say,  p.  81,  89,  94,  117,  688,  691,  Appen- 
dix, p.  169.  (c)  That  neither  the  contrition  which  precedes 
faith,  nor  the  renovation  and  sanctification  which  follow 
after  it,  nor  the  good  works  then  performed,  have  any  thing  to 
do  with  justification  by  faith,  p.  688,  689.  (d)  That  it  is  a 
folly  to  imagine,  that  the  works  of  the  second  table  of  the 
decalogue  justify  in  the  sight  of  God,  for  that  table  has  rela- 
tion to  our  transactions  with  men,  and  not  properly  with  God  ; 
and  the  business  of  justification  is  between  God  and  us,  and 
to  appease  His  wrath,  p.  102.  (e)  If  any  one  therefore  believes 
he  can  obtain  the  remission  of  his  sins,  because  he  is  possessed 
of  charity,  he  brings  a  reproach  on  Christ,  by  an  impious  and 
vain  confidence  in  his  own  righteousness,  p.  87,  89.  (f)  That 
good  works  are  utterly  to  be  excluded,  in  treating  of  justifica- 
tion and  eternal  life,  p.  589.  (s)  That  good  works  are  not 
necessary  as  a  meritorious  cause  of  salvation,  and  that  they 
do  not  enter  into  the  act  of  justification,  p.  589,  590,  702, 
704,  Appendix,  p.  173.  (h)  That  the  position,  that  good 
works  are  necessary  to  salvation,  is  to  be  rejected,  because  it 
takes  away  the  comfort  of  the  gospel,  gives  occasion  to  doubt 
of  the  grace  of  God,  instils  a  conceit  of  self-righteousness,  and 
because  they  are  admitted  by  the  Papists  to  support  a  bad 
cause,  p.  704.  (*)  The  expression,  that  good  works  are  neces- 
sary to  salvation,  is  rejected  and  condemned,  p.  591.  (k)  That 
expressions,  implying  that  good  works  are  necessary  unto  sal- 
vation, ought  not  to  be  taught  and  defended,  but  rather  ex- 
ploded and  rejected  by  the  churches  as  false,  p.  705.  (l)  That 
works,  which  do  not  proceed  from  a  true  faith,  are,  in  fact, 
sins  in  the  sight  of  God,  that  is  to  say,  they  are  defiled  with 


DOCTRINE  OF  THE  NEW  CHURCH.  9 

sin,  because  a  corrupt  tree  cannot  bring  forth  good  fruit,  p. 
700.  (m)  That  faith  and  salvation  are  neither  preserved  nor 
retained  by  good  works,  because  these  are  only  evidences  that 
the  Holy  Spirit  is  present,  and  dwelleth  in  us,  p.  590,  705, 
Appendix,  p.  174.  (n)  That  the  Decree  of  the  Council  of 
Trent  is  deservedly  to  be  rejected,  which  affirms,  that  good 
works  preserve  salvation,  or  that  justification  by  faith,  or  even 
faith  itself,  is  maintained  and  preserved,  either  in  the  whole, 
or  in  the  least  part,  by  our  works,  p.  707. 

13.  Particulars  from  the  Formula  Concordias,  concerning 
the  Fruits  of  Faith.  (a)  That  a  difference  is  to  be  observed 
between  the  works  of  the  law  and  the  works  of  the  spirit ; 
and  that  the  works  which  a  regenerate  person  performs  with 
a  free  and  willing  mind,  are  not  works  of  the  law,  but  works 
of  the  spirit,  which  are  the  fruits  of  faith ;  because  they  who 
are  born  again  are  not  under  the  law,  but  under  grace,  p.  589, 
590,  721,  722.  (b)  That  good  works  are  the  fruits  of  repent- 
ance, p.  12.  (c)  That  the  regenerate  receive  by  faith  a  new 
life,  new  affections,  and  new  works,  and  that  these  are  from 
faith  in  repentance,  p.  134.  (d)  That  man  after  conversion 
and  justification  begins  to  be  renewed  in  his  mind,  and  at 
length  in  his  understanding,  and  that  then  his  will  is  not  in- 
active or  backward  in  performing  daily  exercises  of  repentance, 
p.  582,  673,  700.  (e)  That  we  ought  to  repent  as  well  on 
account  of  original  sin,  as  on  account  of  actual  sins,  p.  321, 
Appendix,  p.  159.  (f)  That  repentance  with  Christians  con- 
tinues until  death,  because  they  have  to  wrestle  with  the  re- 
mains of  sin  in  the  flesh  as  long  as  they  live,  p.  327.  (s)  That  we 
must  enter  upon,  and  advance  more  and  more  in,  the  practice  of 
the  law  of  the  decalogue,  p.  85,  86.  (h)  That  the  regenerate, 
although  delivered  from  the  curse  of  the  law,  ought  neverthe- 
less still  to  exercise  themselves  in  the  divine  law,  p.  718. 
(')  That  the  regenerate  are  not  without  the  law,  though  not 
under  the  law,  for  they  live  according  to  the  law  of  the  Lord, 
p.  722.  (k)  That  the  law  ought  to  be  considered  by  the  re- 
generate as  a  rule  of  religious  life,  p.  596,  717,  Appendix,  p. 
156.  (()  That  the  regenerate  do  good  works,  not  by  constraint, 
but  of  their  own  accord  and  freely,  as  though  they  had  re- 
ceived no  command,  had  heard  of  no  threatenings,  and  expect- 
ed no  reward,  p.  596,  701.  (m)  That  with  them  faith  is  always 
occupied  in  some  good  work,  and  he  who  does  not  thus  per- 
form good  works,  is  destitute  of  true  faith,  for  where  there  is 
faith,  there  will  be  also  good  works,  p.  701.  (n)  That  charity 
and  good  fruits  follow  faith  and  regeneration,  p.  121,  122, 


10  A  BRIEF  EXPOSITION  OF  THE 

171,  188,  692.  (°)  Faith  and  works  agree  well  together,  and 
are  inseparably  connected :  but  faith  alone  lays  hold  of  the 
blessing  without  works,  and  yet  it  is  not  alone ;  hence  it  is 
that  faith  without  works  is  dead,  p.  092,  693.  (p)  That  after 
man  is  justified  by  faith,  his  faith,  being  then  true  and  alive,  is 
operative  by  charity,  for  good  works  always  follow  justifying 
faith,  and  are  most  certainly  discovered  with  it;  thus  faith  is 
never  alone,  but  always  accompanied  by  hope  and  charity, 
p.  586.  (q)  We  allow,  that  where  good  works  do  not  follow 
faith,  in  such  case  it  is  a  false  and  not  a  true  faith,  p.  33G. 
(r)  That  it  is  as  impossible  to  separate  good  works  from  faith, 
as  heat  and  light  from  fire,  p.  701.  (9)  That  as  the  old  Adam 
is  always  inherent  in  our  very  nature,  the  regenerate  have 
continual  need  of  admonition,  doctrine,  threatenings,  and 
even  the  chastisements  of  the  law,  for  they  are  reproved  and 
corrected  by  the  Holy  Spirit  through  the  law,  p.  719,  720, 
721.  (l)  That  the  regenerate  must  wrestle  with  the  old 
Adam,  and  that  the  flesh  must  be  kept  under  by  exhortations, 
threatenings,  and  stripes,  because  renovation  of  life  by  faith 
is  only  begun  in  the  present  life,  p.  595,  596,  724.  (u)  That 
there  remains  a  perpetual  wrestling  between  the  flesh  and  the 
spirit,  in  the  elect  and  truly  regenerate,  p.  675,  679.  (x)  That 
the  reason  why  Christ  promises  remission  of  sins  to  good 
works,  is,  because  they  follow  reconciliation,  and  also  because 
good  fruits  must  necessarily  follow,  and  because  they  are  the 
signs  of  the  promise,  p.  116,  117.  (y)  That  saving  faith  is 
not  in  those  who  have  not  charity,  for  charity  is  the  fruit  which 
infallibly  and  necessarily  follows  true  faith,  p.  688.  (z)  That 
good  works  are  necessary  on  many  accounts,  but  not  as  a 
meritorious  cause,  p.  11,  17,  64,  95,  133,  589,  590,  702, 
Appendix,  p.  172.  (aa)  That  a  regenerate  person  ought  to 
co-operate  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  by  the  new  gifts  and  powers 
which  he  hath  received,  but  in  a  certain  way,  p.  582,  583, 
674,  675,  Appendix,  p.  144.  (bb)  In  the  Confession  of  the 
Churches  in  the  Low  Countries,  tchieh  was  received  in  the 
Synod  of  Dort,  we  read  as  follows :  "  Holy  faith  cannot  be 
inactive  in  man,  for  it  is  a  faith  working  by  charity ;  and 
works,  which  proceed  from  a  good  root  of  faith,  are  good  and 
acceptable  in  the  sight  of  God,  as  being  fruits  of  a  good  tree; 
for  we  are  debtors  unto  God  to  do  good  works,  but  God  is  no 
debtor  unto  us,  inasmuch  as  it  is  God  that  doeth  them  in 
us." 

14.    Concerning  Merits,  from    the    Formula    Concordia. 
(a)  That  it  is  false,  that  our  works  merit  remission  of  sins ; 


DOCTRINE  OF  THE  NEW  CHURCH.  11 

false,  that  men  are  accounted  righteous  by  the  righteousness 
of  reason  ;  and  false,  that  reason,  of  its  own  strength,  is  capa- 
ble of  loving  God  above  all  things,  and  of  keeping  His  law, 
p.  04.  (b)  That  faith  does  not  justify  because  it  is  in  itself 
so  good  a  work,  and  so  excellent  a  virtue,  but  because  it  lays 
hold  of  the  merit  of  Christ  in  the  promise  of  the  gospel,  p. 
76,  634.  (c)  That  the  promise  of  remission  of  sins,  and  justi- 
fication for  Christ's  sake,  does  not  involve  any  condition  of 
merit,  because  it  is  freely  offered,  p.  67.  (d)  That  a  sinner  is 
justified  in  the  sight  of  God,  or  absolved  from  his  sins,  and 
from  the  most  just  sentence  of  damnation,  and  adopted  into 
the  number  of  the  children  of  God,  without  any  merit  of  his 
own,  and  without  any  works  of  his  own,  whether  past,  present, 
or  future,  of  mere  grace,  and  only  on  account  of  the  sole 
merit  of  Christ,  which  is  imputed  to  him  for  righteousness, 
p.  684.  (e)  That  good  works  follow  faith,  remission  of  sins, 
and  regeneration ;  and  whatever  of  pollution  or  imperfection 
is  in  them  is  not  accounted  sinful  or  defective,  and  that  for 
Christ's  sake :  and  thus  that  the  whole  man,  both  as  to  hi* 
person  and  his  works,  is  rendered  and  pronounced  righteous 
and  holy,  out  of  mere  grace  and  mercy  in  Christ,  shed  abroad, 
displayed,  and  magnified  towards  us;  wherefore  we  cannot 
glory  on  account  of  merit,  p.  74,  92,  93,  336.  (*)  He  who 
trusts  in  works,  thinking  he  can  merit  any  thing  thereby, 
despises  the  merit  and  grace  of  Christ,  and  seeks  a  way  to 
heaven  without  Christ,  by  his  own  strength,  p.  16,  17,  18,  19. 
(e)  Whosoever  desires  to  ascribe  something  to  good  works  in 
the  article  of  justification,  and  to  merit  the  grace  of  God  there- 
by, to  such  a  man  works  are  not  only  unprofitable,  but  even 
pernicious,  p.  708.  (h)  The  works  of  the  decalogue  are  enu- 
merated, and  other  necessary  works,  which  God  vouchsafes 
to  reward,  p.  170,  193.  (')  We  teach,  that  good  works  are 
meritorious,  not  indeed  of  remission  of  sins,  grace,  and  justifi- 
cation, but  of  other  temporal  rewards,  and  even  spiritual  re- 
wards in  this  life,  and  after  this  life,  because  Paul  says, 
"  Every  one  shall  receive  a  reward  according  to  his  labour;" 
and  Christ  says,  "  Great  will  be  your  reward  in  heaven ;"  and 
it  is  frequently  said,  that  "  it  shall  be  rendered  unto  every  one 
according  to  his  works  ;"  wherefore  we  acknowledge  eternal 
life  to  be  a  reward,  because  it  is  our  due  according  to  promise, 
and  because  God  crowns  His  own  gifts,  but  not  on  account 
of  our  merits,  p.  96,  133,  134,  135,  136,  137,  138.  (k)  That 
the  good  works  of  believers,  when  they  are  performed  upon 
right  principles,  and  directed  to  right  ends,  such  as  God  re- 


12  A  BRIEF  EXPOSITION  OF  THE 

quires  from  the  regenerate,  are  signs  of  eternal  salvation ;  and 
that  God  the  Father  accounts  them  acceptable  and  pleasing 
for  Christ's  sake,  and  promises  to  them  excellent  rewards 
of  the  present  life,  and  of  that  which  is  to  come,  p.  708. 
(»)  That  although  good  works  merit  rewards,  yet  neither  from 
their  worthiness  nor  fitness  do  they  merit  the  remission  of 
sins,  or  the  glory  of  eternal  life,  p.  96,  135,  139,  &c.  Appen- 
dix, p.  174.  (m)  That  Christ  at  the  last  judgment  will  pass 
sentence  on  good  and  evil  works,  as  the  genuine  effects  and 
evidences  of  men's  faith,  p.  134,  Appendix,  p.  187.  (n)  That 
God  rewards  good  works,  but  that  it  is  of  grace  that  He 
crowns  His  own  gifts,  is  asserted  in  the  Confession  of  the 
Churches  in  the  Low  Countries. 

15.   Concerning  Frec-toilly  from  the    Formula  Concordia. 

(a)  That  man  hath  not  the  smallest  degree  of  ability  in  spiritu- 
al things,  p.  15, 18, 219,  318,  579,  656,  &c.  Appendix,  p.  141 . 

(b)  That  man,  by  the  fall  of  his  first  parents,  is  become  so 
totally  corrupt,  that  he  is  by  nature  blind  with  respect  to 
spiritual  things,  which  relate  to  conversion  and  salvation,  and 
accounts  the  Word  of  God  as  a  foolish  thing  ;  and  that  he  is, 
and  continues  to  be,  an  enemy  to  God,  until,  by  the  power  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  through  preaching  and  hearing  of  the  Word, 
he  is,  of  mere  grace,  without  any  the  least  co-operation  on  his 
part,  converted,  gifted  with  faith,  regenerated,  and  renewed, 
p.  656,  657.  (c)  That  man  is  altogether  corrupt  and  dead  to 
what  is  good,  so  that  in  the  nature  of  man,  since  the  fall, 
and  before  regeneration,  there  is  not  so  much  as  a  spark 
of  spiritual  strength  subsisting  or  remaining,  whereby  he  can 
prepare  himself  for  the  grace  of  God,  or  apprehend  it  when 
offered,  or,  of  and  by  himself,  be  capable  of  receiving  it,  or 
understand,  believe,  embrace,  think,  will,  begin,  perfect,  act, 
operate,  co-operate  in  spiritual  things,  or  apply  or  accommodate 
himself  to  grace,  or  contribute  any  thing  towards  his  conver- 
sion, either  in  the  whole,  the  half,  or  the  least  part,  p.  C56, 
658.  (d)  That  man,  in  spiritual  and  divine  things,  which  re- 
gard salvation,  is  like  the  pillar  of  salt  into  which  Lot's  wife 
was  turned,  and  like  a  stock  or  a  stone  without  life,  which 
have  neither  the  use  of  eyes,  mouth,  nor  any  of  the  senses,  p. 
661,  662.  (e)  That  still  man  hath  a  loco-motive  power,  by 
virtue  whereof  he  can  govern  his  outward  members,  attend 
public  worship,  and  hear  the  Word  and  the  gospel ;  but  that 
in  his  private  thoughts  he  despises  it  as  a  foolish  thing ;  and 
in  this  respect  is,  worse  than  a  stock,  unless  the  Holy  Spirit  is 
efficacious  in  him,  p.  662,  671,  672,  673.    (f)  That  still  it  is 


DOCTRINE  OP  THE   NEW  CHURCH.  13 

not  with  man  in  his  conversion,  as  in  the  forming  of  a  stone 
into  a  stalvie,  or  the  stamping  an  impression  upon  wax,  which 
have  neither  knowledge,  sense,  nor  will,  p.  662,  681.  (8)  That 
man  in  his  conversion  is  a  merely  passive  subject,  and  not  an 
active  one,  p.  662,  681.  (h)  That  man  in  his  conversion  does 
not  at  all  co-operate  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  p.  219,  579,  583, 
672,  676,  Appendix,  p.  143,  144.  (h)  That  man  since  the 
fall  retains  and  possesses  the  faculty  of  knowing  natural  things, 
as  also  free-will  in  some  measure  to  choose  natural  and  civil 
good,  p.  14,  218,  641,  664,  Appendix  142.  (*)  That  the  as- 
sertions of  certain  fathers,  and  modern  doctors,  that  God 
draws  man,  but  draws  him  in  a  manner  consistent  with  his 
will,  are  not  consonant  with  Holy  Scripture,  p.  582,  583. 
(k)  That  man,  when  he  is  born  again  by  the  power  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  co-operates,  though  in  much  weakness,  from  the 
new  powers  and  gifts,  which  the  Holy  Spirit  has  begun  to 
operate  in  him  at  his  conversion,  not  indeed  forcibly,  but 
spontaneously,  p.  582,  &>c.  673,  674,  675,  Appendix,  p.  144. 
(')  That  in  the  regenerate,  not  only  the  gifts  of  God,  but 
likewise  Christ  Himself  dwelleth  by  faith,  as  in  His  temples, 
p.  695,  697,  698,  Appendix,  p.  130.  (m)  There  is  a  wide  dif- 
ference between  baptized  persons  and  persons  not  baptized  ; 
for  it  is  the  doctrine  of  Paul,  that  all  who  have  been  baptized, 
have  put  on  Christ,  and  are  truly  regenerate,  having  thereby 
acquired  a  freedom  of  will,  that  is  to  say,  being  again  made 
free,  as  Christ  testifies,  whence  they  not  only  hear  the  Word 
of  God,  but  are  likewise  enabled,  though  in  much  weakness, 
to  assent  to,  and  embrace  it  by  faith,  p.  675. 

It  is  proper  to  observe,  that  the  foregoing  extracts  are  taken 
from  a  book  called  Formula  Concordia,  which  was  composed 
by  persons  attached  to  the  Augsburg  confession ;  but  that 
nevertheless  the  like  doctrines  concerning  justification  by  faith 
alone  are  maintained  and  taught  by  the  Reformed  in  England 
and  Holland;  wherefore  the  following  treatise  is  intended 
for  all ;  see  below,  n.  17,  18. 
2 


SKETCH 


DOCTRINALS  OF  THE  NEW  CHURCH 


16.  We  now  proceed  to  give  a  brief  Exposition  of  the  Doctrine 
of  the  New  Church,  which  is  signified  by  the  New  Jerusalem 
in  the  Revelation,  chap.  xxi.  and  xxii.  This  doctrine,  which 
is  not  only  a  doctrine  of  faith,  but  also  of  life,  will  be  divided 
in  the  larger  work  into  three  parts.* 

The  First  Part  will  treat,  I.  Of  the  Lord  God  the  Saviour, 
and  of  the  Divine  Trinity  in  Him.  II.  Of  the  Sacred  Scrip- 
ture, and  its  Two  Senses,  the  Natural  and  the  Spiritual,  and 
of  its  sanctity  thence  derived.  III.  Of  Love  to  God  and  Love 
towards  our  Neighbour,  and  of  the  Agreement  of  those  Loves 
with  each  other.  IV.  Of  Faith,  and  its  Conjunction  with 
those  two  Loves.  V.  The  Doctrine  of  Life  from  the  Command- 
ments of  the  Decalogue.  VI.  Of  Reformation  and  Regenera- 
tion. VII.  Of  Free-will,  and  Man's  Co-operation  with  the 
Lord  thereby.  VIII.  Of  Baptism.  IX.  Of  the  Holy  Sup- 
per. X.  Of  Heaven  and  Hell.  XI.  Of  Man's  Conjunction 
therewith,  and  of  the  State  of  Man's  Life  after  Death  accord- 
ing to  that  Conjunction.     XII.    Of  Eternal  Life. 

The  Second  Part  will  treat,  I.  Of  the  Consummation  of 
the  Age,  or  End  of  the  present  Church.  II.  Of  the  Coming 
of  the  Lord.  III.  Of  the  Last  Judgment.  IV.  Of  the  New 
Church,  which  is  the  New  Jerusalem. 


*  The  work  here  alluded  to  is  the  True  Christian  Religion,  which  was  pub- 
lished about  three  years  after  the  appearance  of  this  Sketch.  In  composing  this 
freat  work,  the  author  has  adhered  to  the  plan  here  laid  down  as  to  substance, 
ut  not  exactly  as  to  form  :  thus  he  has  not  divided  it  into  three  parts,  but  into 
fourteen  chapters,  in  which  he  treats  expressly  of  most  of  the  subjects  here  men- 
tioned as  designed  to  form  the  contents  of  two  parts  of  the  work,  and  incidentally 
of  the  others  ;b\it  the  disagreements  betweent  he  tenets  of  the  Old  Church  and  of 
the  New,  which  are  here  mentioned  as  the  subject  of  a  separate  third  part,  are 
not  treated  of  by  themselves,  but  are  pointed  out  throughout  the  whole  course  of 
the  work,  as  occasion  requires. 


DOCTRINE   OF  THE  NEW  CHURCH.  15 

The  Third  Part  will  point  out  the  Disagreements  between 
the  Tenets  of  the  present  Church,  and  those  of  the  New 
Church.  But  we  will  dwell  a  little  upon  these  now,  because 
it  is  believed  both  by  the  clergy  and  laity,  that  the  present 
church  is  in  the  genuine  light  of  the  gospel  and  in  the  truths 
thereof,  which  cannot  possibly  be  disproved,  overturned,  or 
controverted,  not  even  by  an  angel  from  heaven  ;  neither  does 
the  present  church  see  any  otherwise,  because  it  has  with- 
drawn the  understanding  from  faith,  and  yet  has  confirmed 
its  tenets  by  a  kind  of  sight  beneath  the  understanding,  for 
falses  may  there  be  confirmed  to  such  a  degree,  as  to  put  on 
the  appearance  of  truths ;  and  when  this  is  the  case,  they  ac- 
quire a  fallacious  light,  before  which  the  light  of  truth  appears 
as  darkness.  For  this  reason  we  shall  here  dwell  a  little  upon 
this  subject,  mentioning  the  disagreements,  and  illustrating 
them  by  brief  remarks,  that  such  as  have  not  their  under- 
standings closed  by  a  blind  faith  may  see  them  at  first  as  in 
a  kind  of  twilight,  and  afterwards  as  in  morning  light,  and  at 
length,  in  the  large  work,  as  in  the  light  of  day.  The  disa- 
greements in  general  are  as  follows : 

I. 

17.  That  the  Churches,  which  by  the  Reformation  sepa- 
rated themselves  from  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  dissent  in 
various  points  of  doctrine  ;  but  that  they  all  agree  in  the 
articles  concerning  a  Trinity  of  Persons  in  the  Godhead, 
Original  Sin  from  Adam,  Imputation  of  the  Merit  of  Christ, 
and  Justification  by  Faith  alone. 

BRIEF  ANALYSIS  OF  THE  ABOVE  PROPOSITION. 

18.  The  churches,  which  by  the  reformation  separated 
themselves  from  the  Romish  church,  are  composed  of  such  as 
call  themselves  Gospellers  and  Reformed,  likewise  Protestants, 
or,  from  the  names  of  their  leaders,  Lutherans  and  Calvinists, 
among  which  the  church  of  England  holds  the  middle  place : 
we  shall  say  nothing  here  of  the  Greek  church,  which  long 
ago  separated  from  the  church  of  Rome.  That  the  Protestant 
churches  dissent  in  various  things,  particularly  concerning 
the  holy  supper,  baptism,  election,  and  the  person  of  Christ, 
is  well  known  to  many  :  but  that  they  all  agree  in  the  articles 
of  a  trinity  of  persons  in  the  Godhead,  original  sin,  imputation 
of  the  merit  of  Christ,  and  justification  by  faith  alone,  is  not 


16  A  BRIEF  EXPOSITION  OF  THE 

universally  known  ;  the  reason  of  which  is,  because  few  per- 
sons apply  themselves  to  inquire  into  the  differences  of  senti- 
ment maintained  by  different  churches,  and  consequently  few 
understand  wherein  they  agree:  it  is  only  the  clergy  that 
study  the  tenets  of  their  church,  while  the  laity  rarely  enter 
deeply  into  them,  and  consequently  are  unacquainted  with 
differences  in  opinion.  That  nevertheless  they  agree  in  the 
four  articles  above-mentioned,  both  in  their  general  principles, 
and  in  many  of  the  particulars,  will  appear  evident  to  any 
one  who  will  be  at  the  pains  to  consult  their  books,  or  attend 
to  their  sermons.  This,  however,  it  is  necessary  to  make  the 
reader  acquainted  with,  on  account  of  what  follows. 

II. 

19.  That  the  Roman  Catholics,  before  the  Reformation, 
held  and  taught  exactly  the  same  things  as  the  Reformed 
did  after  it,  in  respect  to  the  four  articles  above-mentioned, 
namely,  a  Trinity  </'  Persons  in  the  Godhead,  Original  Sin, 
the  Imputation  of  the  Merit  of  Christ,  and  Justification  by 
Faith  therein,  only  with  this  difference,  that  they  conjoined 
that  Faith  with  Charity  or  Good  Works. 

BRIEF  ANALYSIS. 

20.  That  there  is  such  a  conformity  between  the  Roman 
Catholics  and  the  Protestants  in  these  four  articles,  as  hardly 
to  be  any  material  difference,  except  that  the  former  conjoin 
faith  and  charity,  while  the  latter  divide  between  them,  is 
scarcely  known  to  any  one,  and  indeed  is  so  generally  un- 
known, that  the  learned  themselves  will  be  ready  to  wonder 
at  the  assertion :  the  reason  of  this  ignorance  is,  because  the 
Roman  Catholics  rarely  approach  God  our  Saviour,  but  instead 
of  Him  the  pope  as  His  vicar,  and  likewise  the  saints ;  hence 
they  have  deeply  buried  in  oblivion  their  tenets  concerning 
the  imputation  of  the  merit  of  Christ,  and  justification  by 
faith  ;  that  nevertheless  such  tenets  are  received  and  acknowl- 
edged by  them,  evidently  appears  from  the  Decrees  of  the 
Council  of  Trent,  quoted  above,  n.  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  8,  and  con- 
firmed by  pope  Pius  IV.  n.  2 :  which  if  compared  with  the 
tenets  extracted  from  the  Augsburg  Confession,  and  from  the 
Formula  Concordiae  thence  derived,  n.  9,  10,  11,  12,  the  dif- 
ference between  them  will  be  found  to  consist  more  in  words 
than  in  substance.     The  doctors  of  the  church,  by  reading 


DOCTRINE  OF  THE  NEW  CHURCH.  17 

and  comparing  the  above  passages  together,  may  indeed  see 
some  conformity  between  them,  but  still  rather  obscurely; 
that  these  therefore,  as  well  as  those  who  are  less  learned,  and 
also  the  laity,  may  be  fully  satisfied  in  this  matter,  the  subject 
shall  be  more  clearly  illustrated  in  what  follows. 

III. 

21.  That  the  leading  Reformers,  Luther,  Melancthon,  and 
Calvin,  retained  all  the  tenets  concerning  a  Trinity  of  Per- 
sons in  the  Godhead,  Original  Sin,  Imputation  of  the  Merits 
of  Christ,  and  Justification  by  Faith,  just  as  they  were  and 
had  been  among  the  Roman  Catholics  ;  but  that  they  separat- 
ed Charity  or  Good  Works  from  that  faith,  and  declared  that 
they  were  not  at  the  same  time  of  a  saving  efficacy,  with  a 
vieio  to  be  totally  severed  from  the  Roman  Catholics  as  to  the 
very  Essentials  of  the  Church,  which  are  Faith  and  Charity. 

BRIEF  ANALYSIS. 

22.  That  the  four  articles  above  mentioned,  as  at  present 
taught  in  the  reformed  churches,  were  not  new,  and  first 
broached  by  those  three  leaders,  but  were  handed  down  from 
the  time  of  the  council  of  Nice,  and  taught  by  the  writers 
after  that  period,  and  thus  preserved  in  the  Romish  church, 
is  very  plain  from  ecclesiastical  history.  The  reason  why 
the  Roman  Catholics  and  the  Reformed  agree  in  the  article 
of  a  trinity  of  persons  in  the  Godhead,  is,  because  they  both 
acknowledge  the  three  creeds,  the  Apostles',  the  Nicene,  and 
the  Athanasian,  in  which  a  trinity  is  taught.  That  they 
agree  in  the  article  of  the  imputation  of  the  merit  of  Christ, 
is  plain  from  the  extracts  from  the  council  of  Trent,  n.  3  to  8, 
compared  with  those  from  the  Formula  Concordise,  n.  10  to 
15.  Their  agreement  in  the  article  of  justification,  shall  now 
be  the  subject  of  discussion. 

23.  The  doctrine  maintained  by  the  council  of  Trent,  con- 
cerning justifying  faith,  is  as  follows :  "It  has  always  been 
the  uniform  opinion  of  the  Catholic  church,  that  faith  is  the 
beginning  of  man's  salvation,  the  foundation  and  root  of  all 
justification,  without  which  it  is  impossible  to  please  God,  and 
attain  to  the  fellowship  of  His  children,"  see  above,  n.  5  (a). 
Also,  "  that  faith  comes  by  hearing  the  word  of  God,"  n.  4  (c). 
Moreover,  that  that  Romish  council  conjoined  faith  and  chari- 
ty, or  faith  and  good  works,  may  clearly  be  seen  from  the 

2* 


18  A  BRIEF  EXPOSITION  OP  THE 

quotations  above,  n.  4,  5,  7,  8.  But  that  the  reformed 
churches,  from  their  leaders,  have  separated  them,  declaring 
salvation  to  consist  in  faith,  and  not  at  the  same  time  in 
charity  or  works,  to  the  intent  that  they  might  be  totally 
severed  from  the  Roman  Catholics,  as  to  the  very  essentials 
of  the  church,  which  are  faith  and  charity,  I  have  frequently 
heard  from  the  above-mentioned  leaders  themselves ;  as  also, 
that  they  established  such  separation  by  the  following  con- 
siderations, viz. :  that  no  one  can  do  any  good  thing  available 
to  salvation,  of  himself,  nor  can  fulfill  the  law  ;  and  moreover, 
[that  good  works  should  be  excluded]  lest  thereby  any  merit 
of  man  should  enter  into  faith.  That  from  these  principles, 
and  with  this  view,  they  excluded  the  good  works  of  charity 
from  faith,  and  thereby  also  from  salvation,  is  plain  from  the 
quotations  from  the  Formula  Concordiae  above,  n.  12 ;  among 
which  are  these  :  "  That  faith  does  not  justify,  as  being  formed 
by  charity,  as  the  Papists  alledge,  n.  12  (b) :  that  the  position, 
that  good  works  are  necessary  to  salvation,  ought  to  be  re- 
jected upon  many  accounts,  and  among  others,  because  they 
are  accepted  by  the  Papists  to  support  a  bad  cause,  n.  12  (h) : 
that  the  decree  of  the  council  of  Trent,  that  good  works  pre- 
serve and  retain  salvation  and  faith,  is  deservedly  to  be  re- 
jected," n.  12  (")  :  not  to  mention  other  passages  to  the  same 
purport.  That  still,  however,  the  Reformed  conjoin  faith  and 
charity  into  one  essential  of  salvation,  and  only  differ  from 
the  Roman  Catholics  respecting  the  quality  of  works,  will 
be  shown  in  the  following  article. 

IV. 

24.  That  nevertheless  the  leading  Reformers  adjoined  good 
works,  and  even  conjoined  them  to  their  faith,  but  in  man  as  a 
passive  subject;  whereas  the  Roman  Catholics  conjoin  them  i?i 
man  as  an  active  subject ;  and  that  notwithstanding  there  is 
actually  a  conformity  between  the  one  and  the  other  as  to  faith, 
works,  and  merits. 

BRIEF  ANALYSIS. 

25.  That  the  leading  Reformers,  although  they  separated 
faith  and  charity,  did  still  adjoin  and  even  conjoin  them,  but 
would  not  admit  of  their  being  united  into  one,  so  as  to  be 
both  together  necessary  to  salvation,  is  evident  from  their 
books,  sermons,  and  declarations ;  for  after  they  have  separat- 


DOCTRINE  OF  THE  NEW  CHURCH.  19 

ed  them,  they  conjoin  them,  and  even  express  this  conjunc- 
tion in  clear  terms,  and  not  in  such  as  admit  of  two  senses ; 
as  for  instance  in  the  following :  That  faith  after  justification 
is  never  alone,  but  is  always  accompanied  by  charity  or  good 
works,  and  if  not,  that  such  faith  is  not  a  living  but  a  dead 
faith,  see  above,  n.  13,  (°)  (p)  (<*)  (r)  (?)  (bb) :  nay,  that  good 
works  necessarily  follow  faith,  n.  13,  (x)  (y)  (z) :  and  that  the 
regenerate  person,  by  new  powers  and  gifts,  co-operates  with 
the  Holy  Spirit,  n.  13  (**).  That  the  Roman  Catholics  teach 
exactly  the  same  doctrines,  is  plain  from  the  passages  col- 
lected from  the  council  of  Trent,  n.  4,  5,  6,  7,  8. 

26.  That  the  Reformers  profess  nearly  the  same  things 
with  the  Roman  Catholics  concerning  the  merit  of  works, 
is  evident  from  the  following  quotations  from  the  Formula 
Concordia :  That  good  works  are  rewarded  by  virtue  of  the 
promise  and  by  grace,  and  that  from  thence  they  merit  rewards 
both  temporal  and  spiritual,  n.  14,  (')  (k)  (•)  (n) :  and  that 
God  crowns  His  own  gifts  with  a  reward,  n.  14,  (k)  (n).  The 
like  is  asserted  in  the  council  of  Trent,  namely,  That  God 
of  His  grace  makes  His  own  gifts  to  be  merits,  n.  5,  (*)  :  and 
moreover,  that  salvation  is  not  of  works,  but  of  promise  and 
grace,  because  it  is  God  who  operates  them  by  His  Holy 
Spirit,  n.  5,  («)  (0  («)  (")  (')  (")• 

27.  From  comparing  the  one  and  the  other,  it  appears,  at 
the  first  view,  as  though  there  was  an  entire  conformity  be- 
tween them  ;  but  lest  this  should  be  the  case,  the  Reformers 
distinguished  between  the  works  of  the  law  proceeding  from 
man's  purpose  and  will,  and  works  of  the  spirit  proceeding 
from  faith  as  from  a  free  and  spontaneous  source,  which  latter 
they  denominated  the  fruits  of  faith,  as  may  be  seen  above, 
n.  11,  (h)  ('),  and  n.  13,  (a)  (J)  (>),  and  n.  15,  (k).  Hence,  on 
an  accurate  examination  and  comparison,  there  does  not  ap- 
pear to  be  any  difference  in  the  works  themselves,  but  only 
in  the  quality  of  them,  viz.  that  the  latter  sort  proceed  from 
man  as  from  a  passive  subject,  but  the  former  as  from  an  ac- 
tive subject;  consequently  they  are  spontaneous  when  they 
proceed  from  man's  understanding,  and  not  at  the  same  time 
from  his  will ;  this  is  said,  because  man,  while  he  does  good 
works,  cannot  but  be  conscious  that  he  is  doing  them,  and 
consciousness  is  from  the  understanding.  Nevertheless,  as 
the  Reformed  likewise  preach  up  the  exercises  of  repentance, 
and  wrestlings  with  the  flesh,  n.  13,  (d)  (e)  (*)  («)  (h)  (k),  and 
these  cannot  be  done  by  man  but  from  his  purpose  and  will, 


20  A  BRIEF  EXPOSITION  OF  THE 

and  thus  by  him  as  from  himself,  it  follows,  that  there  is  still 
an  actual  conformity. 

28.  As  to  what  concerns  free-will  in  conversion,  or  in  the 
act  of  justification,  it  appears  as  if  their  sentiments  were  en- 
tirely opposite  to  each  other ;  but  that  they  still  accord  to- 
gether, may  be  seen,  if  we  duly  consider  and  compare  the 
passages  transcribed  from  the  council  of  Trent,  n.  6,  (a)  (b), 
with  those  from  the  Formula  Concordia,  n.  15,  (m) :  for  in 
Christian  countries  all  are  baptized,  and  from  thence  are  in 
a  state  of  free-will,  so  as  to  be  enabled  not  only  to  hear  the 
Word  of  God,  but  likewise  to  assent  to  the  same,  and  em- 
brace it  by  faith ;  consequently  no  one  in  the  Christian  world 
is  like  a  stock. 

29.  Hence,  then,  appears  the  truth  of  what  is  asserted  in 
n.  19  and  n.  21,  viz.  that  the  Reformers  derived  their  opin- 
ions, concerning  a  trinity  of  persons  in  the  Godhead,  origin- 
al sin,  the  imputation  of  the  merit  of  Christ,  and  justifica- 
tion by  faith,  from  the  Roman  Catholics.  These  things 
have  been  advanced  in  order  to  point  out  the  origin  of  their 
tenets,  especially  the  origin  of  the  separation  of  faith  from 
good  works,  or  the  doctrine  of  faith  alone,  and  to  show  that 
it  was  with  no  other  view  than  to  be  severed  from  the  Roman 
Catholics,  and  that,  after  all,  their  disagreement  is  more  in 
words  than  in  reality.  From  the  passages  above  adduced, 
it  very  evidently  appears  upon  what  foundation  the  faith  of 
the  reformed  churches  has  been  erected,  and  from  what  in- 
spiration it  took  its  rise. 


30.  That  the  whole  system  of  Theology  in  the  Christian 
World,  at  this  day,  is  founded  on  an  idea  of  Three  Godst 
arising  from  the  Doctrine  of  a  Trinity  of  Persons. 

BRIEF    ANALYSIS. 

31.  We  will  first  say  something  concerning  the  origin,  or 
source,  from  whence  the  idea  of  a  trinity  of  persons  in  the 
Godhead,  and  thereby  of  three  Gods,  proceeded.  There  are 
three  creeds,  entitled,  the  Apostles',  the  Nicene,  and  the 
Athanasian,  which  specifically  assert  a  trinity  :  the  Apostles' 
and  the  Nicene  assert  simply  a  trinity,  but  the  Athanasian  a 
trinity  of  persons.  These  three  Creeds  are  to  be  met  with  in 
many  of  our  Psalters,  the   Apostles'  Creed  next  the  Psalm 


DOCTRINE  OF  THE  NEW  CHURCH.  21 

which  is  sung,  the  Nicene  after  the  Decalogue,  and  the  Atha- 
nasian  apart  by  itself.*  The  Apostles'  Creed  was  written 
after  the  times  of  the  Apostles  ;  the  Nicene  Creed  at  the 
Council  of  Nice,  a  city  of  Bithynia,  whereunto  all  the  bishops 
in  Asia,  Africa,  and  Europe,  were  summoned  by  the  Empe- 
ror Constantine,  in  the  year  318  ;  but  the  Athanasian  Creed 
was  composed  since  that  council  by  one  or  more  persons,  with 
an  intent  utterly  to  overthrow  the  Arians,  and  was  afterwards 
received  by  the  churches  as  oecumenical.  In  the  two  former 
creeds  the  confession  of  a  trinity  was  evident,  but,  from  the 
third,  or  Athanasian  Creed,  the  profession  of  a  trinity  of  per- 
sons was  spread  abroad  :  that  hence  arose  an  idea  of  three 
Gods,  shall  now  be  shown. 

32.  That  there  is  a  divine  trinity,  is  manifest  from  the 
Lord's  words  in  Matthew  :  "  Jesus  said,  go,  make  disciples  of 
all  nations,  baptizing  them  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  of  the 
Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit,"  chap,  xxviii.  19,  and  from  these 
Words,  in  the  same  Evangelist :  "  When  Jesus  was  baptized, 
lo,  the  heavens  were  opened  unto  Him,  and  He  saw  the  Holy 
Spirit  descending  like  a  dove,  and  coming  upon  Him,  and  lo, 
a  voice  from  heaven,  this  is  My  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well 
pleased,"  chap.  iii.  16,  17.  The  reason  why  the  Lord  sent 
His  disciples  to  baptize  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  Son,  and 
Holy  Spirit,  was,  because  in  Him  then  glorified  there  was  a 
divine  trinity  ;  for,  in  the  preceding  verse,  18,  He  saith,  "All 
power  is  given  unto  Me  in  heaven  and  in  earth  ;"  and,  in  the 
20th  verse  following,  "  Lo,  I  am  with  you  all  the  days,  even 
unto  the  consummation  of  the  age  ;"  thus  He  spoke  of  Himself 
alone,  and  not  of  three  ;  and,  in  John  :  "  The  Holy  Spirit 
was  not  yet,  because  Jesus  was  not  yet  glorified,1''  chap.  vii.  39  : 
the  former  words  He  uttered  after  His  glorification,  and  His 
glorification  was  His  complete  unition  with  His  Father,  who 
was  the  Essential  Divine  [Principle]  in  Hirn  from  conception ; 
and  the  Holy  Spirit  was  the  Divine  [Principle]  proceeding 
from  Him  after  His  glorification,  John,  xx.  22. 

33.  The  reason  why  the  idea  of  three  Gods  has  principally 
arisen  from  the  Athanasian  Creed,  where  a  trinity  of  persons 
is  taught,  is  because  the  word  person  begets  such  an  idea, 
which  is  further  implanted  in  the  mind  by  the  following  words 

*  This  relates  to  the  Protestant  churches  on  the  continent ;  the  three  creeds  are 
also  given  in  the  Liturgy  or  Book  of  Common  Prayer  of  the  church  of  England, 
the  Apostles'  next  after  the  Psalm  that  is  said  or  sung  after  the  second  lesson,  the 
Nicene  in  the  communion  service,  and  the  Athanasian  by  itself,  after  the  evening 
prayer. 


22  A  BRIEF  EXPOSITION  OF  THE 

in  the  same  Creed  :  "  There  is  one  person  of  the  Father,  anoth- 
er of  the  Son,  and  another  of  the  Holy  Ghost ;"  and,  after- 
wards :  "  The  Father  is  God  and  Lord,  the  Son  is  God  and 
Lord,  and  the  Holy  Gho<t  is  God  and  Lord;"  but  more  es- 
pecially by  these ;  "  For  like  as  we  are  compelled  by  the  Chris- 
tian verity  to  acknowledge  every  person  by  Himself  to  be  God 
and  Lord,  so  are  we  forbidden  by  the  Catholic  religion  to  say 
there  be  three  Gods  or  three  Lords  t"  the  result  of  which  words 
is  this,  that  by  the  Christian  verity  we  are  bound  to  confess 
and  acknowledge  three  Gods  and  three  Lords,  but,  by  the 
Catholic  religion,  we  are  not  allowed  to  say  or  to  make  mention 
of  three  Gods  and  Lords  ;  consequently  we  may  have  an 
idea  of  three  Gods  and  Lords,  but  are  not  to  make  confession 
thereof  with  our  mouth.  Nevertheless,  that  the  doctrine  of 
the  trinity  in  the  Athanasian  Creed  is  agreeable  to  truth,  if 
only  instead  of  a  trinity  of  persons  be  there  substituted  a  trin- 
ity of  person,  which  trinity  is  in  God  the  Saviour  Jesus  Christ, 
may  be  seen  in  the  Doctrine  of  the.  New  Jerusalem  concerning 
the  Lord,  published  at  Amsterdam,  in  the  year  1763,  n.  55 
to  61. 

34.  It  is  to  be  observed,  that  in  the  Apostles'  Creed  it  is 
said,  "I  believe  in  God  the  Father,  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  in  the 
Holy  Ghost ;"  in  the  Nicene  Creed,  "  J  believe  in  one  God, 
the  Father,  in  one  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  in  the  Holy  Ghost," 
thus  only  in  one  God  ;  but  in  the  Athanasian  Creed  it  is, 
11  In  God  the  Father,  God  the  Son,  and  God  the  Holy  Ghost," 
thus  in  three  Gods.  But  whereas  the  authors  and  favourers 
of  this  creed  clearly  saw  that  an  idea  of  three  Gods  would 
unavoidably  result  from  the  expressions  therein  used,  there- 
fore, in  order  to  remedy  this,  they  asserted  that  one  substance 
or  essence  belongs  to  the  three  ;  but  still  there  arises  from 
thence  no  other  idea  than  that  there  are  three  Gods  unani- 
mous and  agreeing  together :  for  when  it  is  said  of  the  three 
that  their  substance  or  essence  is  one  and  indivisible,  it  does 
not  remove  the  idea  of  three,  but  confounds  it,  because  the 
expression  is  a  metaphysical  one,  and  the  science  of  meta- 
physics, with  all  its  ingenuity,  cannot  of  three  persons,  each 
whereof  is  God,  make  one  ;  it  may  indeed  make  of  them  one 
in  the  confession  of  the  mouth,  but  never  in  the  idea  of  the 
mind. 

35.  That  the  whole  system  of  Christian  theology  at  this 
day  is  founded  on  an  idea  of  three  Gods,  is  evident  from  the 
doctrine  of  justification,  which  is  the  head  of  the  doctrinals 
of  the  Christian  church,  both  amon*  Roman  Catholics  and 


DOCTRINE  OF  THE  NEW  CHURCH.  23 

Protestants.  That  doctrine  sets  forth,  that  God  the  Father 
sent  His  Son  to  redeem  and  save  mankind,  and  gives  the 
Holy  Spirit  to  operate  the  same  :  every  man  who  hears,  reads, 
or  repeats  this,  cannot  but  in  his  thought,  that  is,  in  his  idea, 
divide  God  into  three,  and  suppose  that  one  God  sent  another, 
and  operates  by  a  third.  That  the  same  thought  of  a  divine 
trinity  distinguished  into  three  persons,  each  whereof  is  God, 
is  continued  throughout  the  rest  of  the  doctrinals  of  the  pres- 
ent church,  as  from  a  head  into  its  body,  will  be  demonstrated 
in  its  proper  place.  In  the  mean  time  consult  what  has  been 
premised  concerning  justification,  consult  the  system  of  the- 
ology in  general  and  in  particular,  and  at  the  same  time  con- 
sult yourself,  while  listening  to  sermons  at  church,  or  while 
praying  at  home,  whether  you  have  any  other  perception  and 
thought  thence  resulting,  than  of  three  Gods ;  and  especially 
while  you  are  praying  or  singing  first  to  one,  and  then  to  the 
other  two  separately,  as  is  the  common  practice.  Hence  is 
confirmed  the  truth  of  the  proposition,  that  the  whole  system 
of  theology  in  the  Christian  world,  at  this  day,  is  founded  upon 
an  idea  of  three  Gods. 

36.  That  a  trinity  of  Gods  is  contrary  to  Holy  Scripture,  is 
well  known,  for  it  is  written,  "  Am  not  I  Jehovah  ?  and  there 
is  no  God  else  beside  Me,  a  just  God  and  a  Saviour,  there  is 
none  beside  Me,"  Isa.  xlv.  21,  22.  "  /  Jehovah  am  thy  God, 
and  thou  shalt  acknowledge  no  God  beside  Me,  and  there  is  no 
Saviour  beside  Me,"  Hos.  xiii.  4.  "  Thus  said  Jehovah  the 
King  of  Israel  and  the  Redeemer  thereof,  Jehovah  Zebaoth, 
I  am  the  First  and  the  Last,  and  beside  Me  there  is  no  God," 
Isa.  xliv.  6.  "  Jehovah  Zebaoth  is  His  name,  and  thy  Re- 
deemer the  Holy  One  of  Israel,  the  God  of  the  whole  earth 
shall  He  be  called,"  Isa.  liv.  5.  "  In  that  day  Jehovah  shall 
be  King  over  the  whole  earth,  in  that  day  there  shall  be  One 
Jehovah,  and  His  name  One"  Zech.  xiv.  9.  Beside  many 
more  passages  elsewhere. 

37.  That  a  trinity  of  Gods  is  contrary  to  enlightened 
reason,  may  appear  from  many  considerations.  What  man 
of  sound  reason  can  bear  to  hear,  that  three  Gods  created 
the  world ;  or  that  creation  and  preservation,  redemption  and 
salvation,  together  with  reformation  and  regeneration,  are 
the  work  of  three  Gods,  and  not  of  one  God  ?  And,  on  the 
other  hand,  what  man  of  sound  reason  is  not  willing  to  hear, 
that  the  same  God,  who  is  our  Creator,  is  also  our  Redeemer, 
Regenerator,  and  Saviour?  As  the  latter  sentiment,  and 
not  the  former,  accords  with  reason,  there  is  therefore  no  na- 


24  A    BRIEF    EXPOSITION    OF    THE 

tion  upon  the  face  of  the  whole  earth,  possessed  of  religion 
and  sound  reason,  but  what  acknowledges  one  God.  That 
the  Mahometans,  and  certain  nations  in  Asia  and  Africa, 
afcjhor  Christianity,  because  they  believe  it  inculcates  the 
worship  of  three  Gods,  is  well  known ;  and  the  only  answer 
of  the  Christians  to  the  charge  is,  that  the  three  possess  one 
essence,  and  thus  are  one  God.  I  can  affirm,  that  from  the 
reason  which  has  been  given  me,  I  can  clearly  see,  that 
neither  the  world,  nor  the  angelic  heaven,  nor  the  church, 
nor  any  thing  therein,  could  have  existed,  or  can  still  subsist, 
but  from  one  God. 

38.  Here  I  will  add  a  quotation  from  the  Confession  of  the 
Dutch  Churches  received  at  the  Synod  of  Dort,  which  is  this : 
"I  believe  in  one  God,  who  is  one  essence,  in  which  are 
three  Persons,  truly  and  really  distinct,  in  communicable 
properties  from  eternity,  namely,  the  Father,  the  Son,  and 
the  Holy  Spirit ;  the  Father  is  of  all  things,  both  visible  and 
invisible,  the  cause,  origin,  and  beginning ;  the  Son  is  the 
Word,  wisdom,  and  image  of  the  Father;  the  Holy  Spirit  is 
the  eternal  virtue  and  power  proceeding  from  the  Father  and 
the  Son.  However,  it  must  be  allowed,  that  this  doctrine 
far  exceeds  the  comprehension  of  the  human  mind ;  we  must 
therefore  be  content  to  wait  till  we  come  to  heaven  for  a 
perfect  knowledge  thereof." 

VI. 

39.  That  the  Tenets  of  the  aforesaid  Theology  appear  to  be 
erroneous,  after  the  idea  of  a  Trinity  of  Persons,  and  the  con- 
sequent idea  of  Three  Gods,  has  been  rejected,  and  the  idea  of 
One  God,  in  whom  is  a  Divine  Trinity,  received  in  its  stead. 

BRIEF    ANALYSIS. 

40.  The  reason  why  the  tenets  of  the  present  church,  which 
are  founded  upon  the  idea  of  three  Gods,  derived  from  the 
doctrine  of  a  trinity  of  persons  literally  understood,  appear 
erroneous,  after  the  idea  of  one  God,  in  whom  is  a  divine 
trinity,  has  been  received  in  its  stead,  is,  because,  till  this 
truth  is  received,  we  cannot  see  what  is  erroneous  :  the  case 
herein  is  like  a  person,  who  in  the  night  time,  by  the  light 
of  some  stars  only,  sees  various  objects,  especially  images, 
and  believes  them  to  be  living  men ;  or  like  one,  who  in 
the  twilight  before  sunrise,  as  he  lies  in  his  bed,  fancies  he 
sees  goblins  in  the  air,  and  believes  them  to  be  angels ;  or 


DOCTRINE  OF  THE  NEW  CHUltCH.  25 

like  a  person,  who  sees  many  things  in  the  delusive  light  of 
phantasy,  and  believes  them  to  be  real :  such  things,  it  is 
well  known,  do  not  appear  according  to  their  true  qualities, 
until  the  person  comes  to  enjoy  the  light  of  the  day,  or,  in 
other  words,  until  his  understanding  is  broad  awake.  The 
case  is  the  same  with  the  spiritual  things  of  the  church, 
which  have  been  erroneously  and  falsely  perceived,  and 
even  confirmed,  when  genuine  truths  present  themselves 
in  their  own  light,  which  is  the  light  of  heaven.  Who 
is  there  that  cannot  understand,  that  all  tenets  found- 
ed on  the  idea  of  three  Gods  must  be  interiorly  erroneous 
and  false  1  I  say  interiorly,  because  the  idea  of  God  enters 
into  every  thing  belonging  to  the  church,  religion,  and 
worship;  and  theological  matters  have  their  residence 
above  all  others  in  the  human  mind,  and  among  these  the 
idea  of  God  is  the  principal  or  supreme  ;  wherefore  if  this 
be  false,  all  beneath  it,  in  consequence  of  the  principle 
from  whence  they  flow,  must  likewise  be  false  or  falsified  ; 
for  that  which  is  supreme,  being  also  the  inmost,  constitutes 
the  very  essence  of  all  that  is  derived  from  it;  and  the 
essence,  like  a  soul,  forms  them  into  a  body,  after  its  own 
image  ;  and  when  in  its  descent  it  lights  upon  truths,  it 
even  infects  them  with  its  own  blemish  and  error.  The  idea 
of  three  Gods  in  theology  may  be  compared  to  a  disorder 
seated  in  the  heart  or  lungs,  in  which  the  patient  fancies 
himself  to  be  in  health,  because  his  physician,  not  know- 
ing his  disease,  persuades  him  that  he  is  so ;  but  if  the  phy- 
sician knows  it,  and  still  persuades  the  patient  that  he  is  in 
health,  he  deserves  the  charge  of  deep  malignity. 

VII. 

41.  That  then  true  saving  Faith,  which  is  a  Faith  in 
One  God,  united  with  Good  Works,  is  acknowledged  and 
received. 

BRIEF    ANALYSIS. 

42.  The  reason  why  this  faith,  which  is  a  faith  in  one 
God,  is  acknowledged  and  received  as  truly  saving,  when 
the  former  faith,  which  is  a  faith  in  three  Gods,  is  rejected, 
is,  because  till  this  is  the  case  it  cannot  be  seen  in  its  proper 
form :  for  the  faith  of  the  present  day  is  set  forth  as  the  only 
saving  faith,  because  it  is  a  faith  in  one  God,  and  a  faith  in 
a  Saviour  ;  but  it  must  be  observed,  that  this  faith  hath  two 
faces,  the  one  internal,  and  the  other  external ;  its  internal 

3 


26  A    BRIEF    EXPOSITION    OF    THE 

face  is  formed  from  the  perception  of  three  Gods,  (for  who 
perceives  or  thinks  any  otherwise  ?  Let  every  one  examine 
himself) ;  whereas  its  external  face  is  formed  from  the  con- 
fession of  one  God,  (for  who  confesses  or  speaks  otherwise? 
let  every  one  examine  himself) ;  these  two  faces  are  alto- 
gether discordant  with  each  other,  so  that  the  external  is  not 
acknowledged  by  the  internal,  nor  is  the  internal  known  by 
the  external.  From  this  disagreement,  and  the  vanishing 
of  the  one  out  of  sight  of  the  other,  a  confused  idea  of 
things  pertaining  to  salvation  has  been  conceived  and  brought 
forth  in  the  church.  It  is  otherwise,  when  the  internal  and 
external  faces  accord  together,  and  mutually  regard  and  ac- 
knowledge each  other  as  one  ;  that  this  is  the  case,  when 
one  God,  in  whom  is  a  divine  trinity,  is  not  only  perceived 
by  the  mind,  but  likewise  acknowledged  by  the  mouth,  is 
self-evident.  That  the  tenet  of  the  Father's  being  alienated 
from  mankind,  is  then  abolished,  together  with  that  of  His 
reconciliation  ;  and  that  quite  another  doctrine  takes  place 
concerning  imputation,  remission  of  sins,  regeneration,  and 
salvation  thence  derived  :  will  clearly  be  seen  in  the  work 
itself,  in  the  light  of  reason  illustrated  by  divine  truths  from 
the  Sacred  Scripture.  This  faith  is  called  a  faith  united 
with  good  works,  because  without  this  union  it  is  impossi- 
ble to  have  faith  in  one  God. 

VIII. 

43.  And  that  this  Faith  is  in  God  the  Saviour  Jesus  Christ, 
which  in  its  simple  Form  is  as  follows  :  I.  That  there  is  One 
God,  in  whom  is  a  Divine  Trinity,  and  that  He  is  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  II.  That  saving  Faith  is  to  believe  in  Him. 
III.  That  Evils  ought  to  be  shunned,  because  they  are  of  the 
Devil  and  from  the  Devil.  IV.  That  Good  Works  ought  to 
be  done,  because  they  are  of  God  and  from  God.  V.  And 
that  they  ought  to  be  done  by  Man  as  of  himself,  but  with  a 
Belief  that  they  are  from  the  Lord,  operating  in  him  and  by  him. 

BRIEF    ANALYSIS. 

44.  This  is  the  faith  of  the  New  Church  in  its  simple  form, 
which  will  appear  more  fully  in  the  Appendix,  and  still  more 
at  large  in  the  first  part  of  the  work  itself,  where  we  shall 
treat  of  the  Lord  God  the  Saviour,  and  of  the  trinity  in  Him  ; 
of  love  to  God,  and  love  towards  our  neighbour  ;  of  faith  and 
its  conjunction  with  those  two  loves  ;  also  in  the  other  parts, 


u/Viirl 


DOCTRINE    OF    THE    NEW    CHURCH.  27 


which  will  follow  in  their  proper  order.  But  it  is  necessary 
that  this  preliminary  concerning  the  above-mentioned  faith 
should  here  be  briefly  illustrated.  The  first  position,  viz. 
That  there  is  one  God,  in  whom  is  a  Divine  Trinity,  and  that 
He  is  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  is  summarily  illustrated  in  the 
following  manner.  It  is  a  certain  and  established  truth,  that 
God  is  one,  that  His  essence  is  indivisible,  and  that  there  is  a 
trinity  ;  since,  therefore,  God  is  one,  and  His  essence  is  indi- 
visible, it  follows,  that  God  is  one  person,  and  that  a  trinity  is 
in  that  person.  That  this  is  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  appears 
from  hence,  that  He  was  conceived  of  God  the  Father,  Luke 
i.  34,  35  ;  and  that  thus  as  to  His  soul  and  essential  life  he  is 
God  ;  and,  therefore,  as  He  Himself  said,  that  the  Father  and 
He  are  one,  John  x.  30 ;  that  He  is  in  the  Father,  and  the 
Father  in  Him,  John  xiv.  10,  11;  that  he  who  seeth  Him 
and  knoweth  Him,  seeth  and  knoweth  the  Father,  John  xiv. 
7,  9  ;  th  it  no  one  seeth  and  knoweth  the  Father,  but  He  who 
is  in  the  bosom  of  the  Father,  John  i.  18  ;  that  all  things  be- 
longing to  the  Father  are  His,  John  iii.  35.  chap.  xvi.  15  ; 
that  He  is  the  Way,  the  Truth,  and  the  Life,  and  that  no  one 
cometh  unto  the  Father  but  by  Him,  John  xiv.  6 :  conse- 
quently, from  Him,  because  He  is  in  Him,  and  thus  is  He 
Himself;  and,  according  to  Paul,  that  in  Him  dwells  all  the 
fullness  of  the  Godhead  bodily,  Coloss.  ii.  9  ;  and,  according 
to  Isaiah,  "  Unto  us  a  Child  is  born,  unto  us  a  Son  is  given, 
whose  name  is  God,  Father  of  Eternity ,"  ix.  5  ;  and  again, 
that  He  hath  power  over  all  flesh,  John  xvii.  2 ;  and  that  He 
hath  all  power  in  heaven  and  earth,  Matt,  xxviii.  18  :  whence 
it  follows,  that  He  is  the  God  of  heaven  and  earth.  The 
second  position,  viz.  That  saving  faith  is  to  believe  in  Him,  is 
illustrated  thus  :  "  Jesus  said,  He  that  believeth  in  Me,  shall 
not  die  eternally,  but  shall  live,"  John  xi.  25,  2G  ;  "  This  is 
the  will  of  the  Father,  that  every  one  who  believeth  in  the 
Son  may  have  eternal  life,"  John  vi.  40  ;  "  God  so  loved  the 
world,  that  He  gave  His  only  begotten  Son,  that  whoso- 
ever believeth  in  Him,  should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting 
life,"  John  iii.  15,  10  ;  "  He  that  believeth  in  the  Son,  hath 
everlasting  life,  but  he  that  believeth  not  the  Son,  shall  not 
see  life,  but  the  wrath  of  God  abideth  on  him,"  John  iii.  36. 
The  three  remaining  propositions,  viz.  That  evils  ought  to  be 
shunned,  because  they  are  of  the  devil  and  from  the  devil ; 
and  that  good  works  ought  to  be  done,  because  they  are  of 
God  and  from  God ;  but  that  man  ought  to  believe,  that  they 
are  from  the   Lord,  operating  in  him  and  by  him,  have  no 


28  A    BRIEF    EXPOSITION    OF    THE 

V 

need  of  illustration  and  proof,  for  the  whole  Sacred  Scripture, 
from  beginning  to  end,  confirms  them,  and,  in  short,  teaches 
nothing  else  but  to  shun  evils,  and  do  good,  and  to  believe  in 
the  Lord  :  besides,  without  these  three  there  cannot  be  any 
religion,  for  all  religion  relates  to  life  ;  and  life  consists  in 
shunning  evils,  and  in  doing  good,  which  cannot  be  done  by 
man,  except  as  of  himself;  wherefore  if  these  three  are  re- 
moved from  the  church,  the  Sacred  Scripture,  together  with 
religion,  is  likewise  removed  at  the  same  time  ;  in  which 
case  the  church  is  no  longer  a  church.  For  a  further  ac- 
count of  the  faith  of  the  New  Church,  in  its  universal  and 
particular  form,  see  below,  n.  116,  117;  all  which  will  be 
demonstrated  in  the  work  itself. 

IX. 

45.  That  the  Faith  of  the  present  day  has  separated  Reli- 
gion from  the  Church,  since  Religion  consists  in  the  Ac- 
knowledgment of  One  God,  and  in  the  Worship  of  Him,  from 
Faith  grounded  in  Charity. 

BRIEF    ANALYSIS. 

4G.  What  nation  is  there  upon  the  face  of  the  earth,  pos- 
sessed of  religion  and  sound  reason,  that  does  not  know  and 
believe,  that  there  is  one  God,  and  that  to  do  evils  is  contrary 
to  Him,  and  that  to  do  good  is  well-pleasing  to  Him,  and  that 
man  must  do  this  from  his  soul,  from  his  heart,  and  from  his 
strength,  although  it  is  by  influx  from  God  ;  and  that  herein 
consists  religion  ?  Who,  therefore,  does  not  see,  that  to  con- 
fess three  persons  in  the  Godhead,  and  to  assert  that  in  good 
works  there  is  nothing  of  salvation,  is  to  separate  religion 
from  the  church  ?  Yet  so  it  is  asserted  in  these  words  :  "  That 
faith  justifies  without  good  works,"  n.  12,  (a)  (b) ;  "  that 
works  are  not  necessary  to  salvation,  nor  to  faith,  because  sal- 
vation and  faith  are  neither  preserved  nor  retained  by  good 
works,"  n.  12,  (")  (h)  (m)  (n)  ;  consequently,  that  there  is  no 
bond  of  conjunction  between  faith  and  good  works  :  it  is  in- 
deed said  afterwards,  "  that  good  works  nevertheless  follow 
faith,  as  fruit  is  produced  from  a  tree,"  n.  13,  (l)  (n),  but 
then  let  us  ask,  who  does  them,  nay,  who  thinks  of  them,  or 
who  is  spontaneously  led  to  perform  them,  while  a  person 
knows  or  believes  that  they  do  not  at  all  contribute  to  salva- 
tion, and  also,  that  no  one  can  do  any  good  thing  towards 
salvation  of  himself,  and  so  on  1     If  it  be  alleged  that  the 


DOCTRINE  OF  THE  NEW  CHURCH.  29 

leaders  of  the  church  have  still  conjoined  faith  with  good 
works,  it  may  be  said  in  reply,  that  this  conjunction,  when 
closely  inspected,  is  not  conjunction,  but  mere  adjunction, 
and  this  only  like  a  superfluous  appendage,  that  neither  co- 
heres nor  adheres  in  any  other  manner  than  as  a  dark  back- 
ground to  a  portrait,  which  serves  to  set  off  the  figure  repre- 
sented, and  give  it  more  the  appearance  of  life  :  it  may  be 
said  further,  that  inasmuch  as  religion  has  relation  to  life,  and 
this  consists  in  good  works  according  to  the  truths  of  faith,  it 
is  evident  that  real  religion  is  the  portrait  or  figure  represented 
of  itself,  and  not  the  mere  shady  appendage  ;  yea,  that  when 
good  works  are  regarded  as  such  an  appendage,  they  must  be 
reputed  by  many  as  of  no  more  account  than  the  tail  of  a 
horse,  which,  as  contributing  nothing  to  the  horse's  strength, 
may  be  cut  off  at  pleasure.  Who  can  rationally  conclude 
otherwise,  while  he  understands  such  expressions  as  these 
according  to  their  obvious  meaning  :  "  That  it  is  a  folly  to 
imagine  that  the  works  of  the  second  table  of  the  Decalogue 
justify  in  the  sight  of  God,"  n.  12,  (d)  ;  and  these  :  "  That 
if  any  one  believes  he  shall  therefore  obtain  salvation,  because 
he   hath   charity,  he   brings  a  reproach  upon  Christ,"  n.  12, 

(e)  ;  as  also  these  :  u  That  good  works  are  utterly  to  be  ex- 
cluded,  in   treating  of  justification  and  eternal  life,"  n.  12, 

(f )  ;  with  more  to  the  same  purpose  ?  Who,  therefore,  when 
he  reads  afterwards,  that  good  works  necessarily  follow  faith, 
and  that  if  they  do  not  follow,  the  faith  is  a  false  and  not  a  true 
faith,  n.  13,  (p)  (q)  (y),  with  more  to  the  same  purpose,  attends 
to  it?  or  if  he  attends  to  it,  understands  whether  such  good  works 
are  attended  with  any  perception  or  consciousness  1  yet  good 
which  proceeds  from  man  without  his  having  a  perception  or 
consciousness  of  it,  has  no  more  life  in  it  than  if  it  came  from 
a  statue.  But  if  we  inquire  more  deeply  into  the  rise  of  this 
doctrine,  it  will  appear  as  though  the  leading  Reformers  first 
laid  down  faith  alone  as  their  rule,  in  order  that  they  might 
be  severed  from  the  Roman  Catholics,  as  mentioned  above, 
n.  21,  22,  23  ;  and  that  afterwards  they  adjoined  thereto  the 
works  of  charity,  that  their  system  might  not  appear  to  con- 
tradict the  Sacred  Scriptures,  but  have  the  semblance  of 
religion,  and  thus  be  salved  over. 

3* 


30  A    BRIEF    EXPOSITION    OF    THE 


47.  That  the  Faith  of  the  present  Church  cannot  be  con- 
joined with  Charity,  and  produce  any  Fruits,  which  are  Good 
Works. 

BRIEF    ANALYSIS. 

48.  Before  we  proceed  to  the  proof  of  this  proposition,  we 
shall  first  explain  the  origin  and  nature  of  charity,  and  the 
origin  and  nature  of  faith,  and  thus  the  origin  and  nature  of 
good  works,  which  are  called  fruits.  Faith  is  truth,  where- 
fore the  doctrine  of  faith  is  the  doctrine  of  truth ;  and  the 
doctrine  of  truth  has  its  seat  in  the  understanding,  and  thence 
in  the  thought,  and  from  the  thought  descends  into  the 
speech  ;  wherefore  it  teaches  what  we  are  to  will,  and  what 
we  are  to  do,  thus  that  evils,  and  what  evils,  are  to  be  shunned, 
and  that  good  works,  and  what  good  works,  are  to  be  done. 
When  man  from  such  a  principle  does  good,  then  good  con- 
joins itself  with  truth,  because  the  will  is  conjoined  with  the 
understanding,  for  good  appertains  to  the  will,  and  truth  to 
the  understanding  ;  from  this  conjunction  arises  the  affection 
of  good,  which  in  its  essence  is  charity,  and  the  affection  of 
truth,  which  in  its  essence  is  faith,  and  these  two  united  to- 
gether constitute  a  marriage ;  from  which  marriage  good 
works  are  produced,  as  fruits  from  a  tree  ;  and  hence  they 
become  the  fruits  of  good,  and  the  fruits  of  truth  ;  the  lat- 
ter are  signified  in  the  Word  by  grapes,  but  the  former  by 
olives. 

49.  From  this  generation  of  good  works,  it  is  evident,  that 
faith  alone  cannot  possibly  produce  or  beget  any  works,  that 
deserve  the  name  of  fruits,  any  more  than  a  woman  can  of 
herself  produce  any  offspring  without  the  concurrence  of  a 
man  ;  wherefore  the  fruits  of  faith  is  a  vain  expression,  and  a 
word  without  meaning.  Besides,  throughout  the  whole  world, 
nothing  ever  was  or  can  be  produced,  but  from  a  marriage  of 
two,  one  whereof  has  relation  to  good,  and  the  other  to  truth, 
or,  in  the  opposite  sense,  one  to  evil,  and  the  other  to  what  is 
false  ;  consequently,  no  works  can  be  conceived,  much  less 
brought  into  existence,  but  from  such  marriage,  good  works 
from  the  marriage  of  good  and  truth,  and  evil  works  from  the 
marriage  of  evil  and  what  is  false. 

50.  The  reason  why  charity  cannot  be  conjoined  with  the 
faith  of  the  present  church,  and,  consequently,  why  good 
works  cannot  spring  from  some  sort  of  marriage  union  be- 
tween them,  is,  because  imputation  supplies  every  thing,  re- 


DOCTRINE    OF    THE    NEW    CHURCH.  31 

mits  guilt,  justifies,  regenerates,  sanctifies,  imparts  the  life 
of  heaven  and  thus  salvation,  and  all  this  freely,  without  any 
works  of  man  :  in  this  case,  what  is  charity,  which  ought  to 
be  united  with  faith,  but  something  vain  and  superfluous,  and 
a  mere  addition  and  supplement  to  imputation  and  justifica- 
tion, to  which  nevertheless  it  adds  no  weight  or  value  ?  Be- 
sides, a  faith  founded  on  the  idea  of  three  Gods  is  erroneous, 
as  has  been  shown  above,  n.  39,  40  ;  and  with  an  erroneous 
faith,  charity,  that  in  itself  is  charity,  cannot  be  conjoined. 
There  are  two  reasons  given  for  believing  that  there  is  no 
bond  of  union  between  that  faith  and  charity  ;  the  one  is,  be- 
cause they  make  their  faith  to  be  of  a  spiritual  quality,  but 
charity  merely  natural  and  moral,  imagining  that  there  can 
be  no  conjunction  between  what  is  spiritual  and  what  is  nat- 
ural :  the  other  reason  is,  lest  any  thing  of  man,  and  so  any 
thing  of  merit,  should  gain  admission  into  their  faith,  which 
they  suppose  to  be  alone  of  a  saving  nature.  Furthermore, 
between  charity  and  that  faith  there  is  no  conjunction,  but 
with  the  new  faith  there  is,  which  may  be  seen  below,  n. 
116,117. 

XI. 

51.  That  from  the  Faith  of  the  present  Church  there  results 
a  Worship  of  the  Mouth  and  not  of  tlie  Life,  whereas  the 
Worship  of  the  Mouth  is  accepted  by  the  Lord,  in  proportion 
as  it  proceeds  from  the  Worship  of  the  Life. 

BRIEF    ANALYSIS. 

52.  This  is  testified  by  experience  :  how  few  are  there  at 
this  day,  who  form  their  lives  after  the  precepts  of  the  Deca- 
logue, and  other  precepts  of  the  Lord,  from  a  religious  prin- 
ciple ?  And  how  few  are  there  at  this  day,  who  desire  to 
look  their  own  evils  in  the  face,  and  to  perform  actual  repen- 
tance, and  thus  enter  upon  the  worship  of  the  life  ?  or  who, 
among  those  that  make  pretensions  to  piety,  perform  any 
other  repentance  than  that  of  the  mouth,  which  consists  in 
words  only,  confessing  themselves  to  be  sinners,  and  praying, 
according  to  the  doctrine  of  the  church,  that  God  the  Father, 
for  the  sake  of  His  Son,  who  suffered  upon  the  cross  for  their 
sins,  took  away  their  damnation,  and  atoned  for  them  with 
His  blood,  would  mercifully  forgive  their  transgressions,  that 
so  they  might  be  presented  without  spot  or  blemish  before 
His  judgment-seat?  Who  does  not  see,  that  this  worship  is 
that  of  the  lungs  only,  and  not  of  the  heart,  consequently  that 


32  A    BRIEF    EXPOSITION    OF    THE 

it  is  external  worship,  and  not  internal  ?  for  it  is  a  prayer  for 
the  remission  of  sins,  when  yet  marf  is  not  conscious  of  a 
single  sin  that  he  has  ;  and,  if  he  did  know  of  any,  he 
would  cover  it  over  with  favour  and  indulgence,  or  with  a 
faith  that  is  to  purify  and  absolve  him,  without  any  works  of 
his.  But  this  conduct  may  be  compared  to  that  of  a  servant, 
who  should  go  to  his  master  with  his  face  and  clothes  be- 
daubed with  soot  and  filth,  and  say,  Sir,  wash  me  ;  would 
not  his  master  in  such  case  naturally  say  to  him,  Thou  fool- 
ish servant,  what  is  it  thou  sayest  ?  lo !  there  is  water,  soap, 
and  a  towel,  hast  thou  not  hands  of  thy  own,  and  strength  to 
use  them?  wash  thyself:  thus  also  the  Lord  God  will  say, 
The  means  of  purification  are  provided  by  Me,  and  from  Me 
also  thou  hast  will  and  power,  wherefore  use  these  My  gifts 
and  talents,  as  thy  own,  and  thou  shalt  be  purified.  Take 
another  example  by  way  of  illustration  :  suppose  you  should 
pray  a  thousand  times  at  home  and  at  church,  that  God  the 
Father,  for  the  sake  of  His  Son,  would  preserve  you  from  the 
devil,  and  should  not  at  the  same  time,  from  that  freedom  of 
will,  in  which  you  are  perpetually  kept  by  the  Lord,  keep 
yourself  from  evil,  and  so  from  the  devil ;  you  could  not  in 
this  case  be  preserved  even  by  legions  of  angels  sent  from  the 
Lord  ;  for  the  Lord  cannot  act  contrary  to  His  own  divine 
order,  which  is,  that  man  should  examine  himself,  discover 
his  evils,  resist  them,  and  this  as  of  himself,  yet  from  the 
Lord.  This  does  not  indeed  at  this  day  appear  to  be  the 
gospel,  nevertheless  it  is  the  gospel,  for  the  gospel  is  salva- 
tion by  the  Lord.  The  reason  why  the  worship  of  the  mouth 
is  accepted  by  the  Lord  according  to  the  worship  of  the  life, 
is,  because  the  speech  of  man  before  God,  and  before  the 
angels,  has  its  sound  from  the  affection  of  his  love  and  faith, 
and  these  two  are  in  man  according  to  his  life  ;  wherefore, 
reader,  if  the  love  of  God  and  faith  in  Him  are  in  thy  life, 
the  sound  of  thy  voice  will  be  like  that  of  a  dove  ;  but  if 
self-love  and  self-confidence  are  in  thy  life,  the  sound  of  thy 
voice  will  be  like  that  of  an  owl,  howsoever  you  may  en- 
deavour to  imitate  the  dove  :  the  spiritual  [principle],  which 
is  within  the  sound,  is  the  cause  of  this. 

XII. 

53.  That  the  Doctrine  of  the  present  Church  is  interwoven 
with  many  Paradoxes,  which  are  to  be  embraced  by  Faith  ; 
and  that  therefore  its  Tenets  gain  admission  into  the  Memory 


DOCTRINE    OF    THE    NEW    CHURCH.  33 

only,  and  not  into  any  part  of  the  Understanding  above  the 
Memory,  but  merely  into  confirmations  below  it. 

BRIEF    ANALYSIS. 

54.  The  rulers  of  the  church  insist,  that  the  understand- 
ing is  to  be  kept  under  obedience  to  faith,  nay,  that  faith, 
properly  speaking,  is  a  faith  in  what  is  unknown,  which  is 
blind,  and  only  a  faith  of  the  night :  this  is  their  first  para- 
dox ;  for  faith  is  of  truth,  and  truth  is  of  faith  ;  and  truth, 
before  it  can  become  an  object  of  faith,  must  be  seen  in  its 
own  light  and  understood  ;  otherwise  what  is  false  may  be 
believed  as  true.  The  paradoxes  flowing  from  such  a  faith 
are  many ;  as,  that  God  the  Father  begat  a  Son  from  eternity, 
and  that  the  Holy  Spirit  proceeds  from  both,  and  that  each  of 
these  three  is  a  person  by  Himself  and  a  God :  that  the  Lord, 
both  as  to  His  soul  and  body,  was  from  the  mother  :  that  the 
above  three  persons,  consequently  three  Gods,  created  the 
universe  ;  and  that  one  of  them  descended,  and  assumed  hu- 
man nature,  to  reconcile  the  Father,  and  thus  to  save  man- 
kind ;  and  that  they  who  by  grace  obtain  faith,  and  believe 
these  paradoxes,  are  saved  by  the  imputation,  application,  and 
translation,  of  His  righteousness  to  themselves ;  and  that  man, 
at  his  first  reception  of  that  faith,  is  like  a  statue,  a  stock,  or 
a  stone,  and  that  faith  comes  by  the  mere  hearing  of  the 
Word  ;  that  faith  alone  without  the  works  of  the  law,  or  en- 
tirely independent  of  charity,  is  saving  ;  and  that  it  produces 
the  remission  of  sins  without  any  previous  repentance  ;  and 
that,  merely  by  virtue  of  such  remission  of  sins,  the  impeni- 
tent are  justified,  regenerated,  and  sanctified  ;  and  that  after- 
wards charity,  good  works,  and  repentance,  spontaneously 
follow  :  besides  many  other  paradoxes  of  a  like  nature,  all 
which,  like  oif-pring  from  an  illegitimate  bed,  have  issued 
from  the  doctrine  founded  on  the  idea  of  three  Gods. 

55.  What  wise  man  does  not  see,  that  such  paradoxes  en- 
ter only  into  the  memory,  and  not  into  the  understanding 
above  the  memory,  although  they  may  be  confirmed  by  rea- 
sonings from  appearances  and  fallacies  below  it  ?  for  the  hu- 
man understanding  is  capable  of  seeing  by  two  kinds  of 
light,  one  of  which  is  from  heaven,  and  the  other  from  the 
world  ;  the  light  from  heaven,  which  is  spiritual,  flows  into 
the  human  mind  above  the  memory,  but  the  light  from  the 
world,  which  is  natural,  below  it.  That  man,  from  this 
latter  light,  can   confirm   whatever    he   pleases,   and    falses 


34  A  BRIEF  EXPOSITION  OF  THE 

equally  as  well  as  truths,  and  that  after  confirmation  he  sees 
falses  altogether  as  truths,  has  been  shown  in  a  memorable 
relation  inserted  in  a  work  lately  published  concerning  Con- 
jugial  Love,  n.  233. 

56.  To  what  has  been  said  shall  be  added  the  following 
arcanum  from  heaven  :  all  those  paradoxes,  according  to  their 
confirmations,  abide  in  the  minds  of  men,  bound  together  as 
into  one  bundle,  or  wound  up  together  as  into  one  ball,  and 
enter  at  the  same  time  into  every  individual  proposition  that 
is  stated  from  the  doctrine  of  the  church  ;  so  that  when  either 
faith,  charity,  or  repentance,  and  still  more  when  imputation 
or  justification  is  mentioned,  they  all  enter  and  are  included 
in  each  particular.  Man  himself  indeed  does  not  perceive 
any  such  accumulation,  or  bundling  together  of  such  paradoxes 
in  every  individual  proposition  from  the  doctrine  of  the  church, 
or  on  every  mention  of  the  above  expressions ;  but  the  angels 
that  are  with  man  perceive  it,  and  call  it  malua,  that  is,  con- 
fusion and  darkness. 

57.  I  am  well  aware,  that  very  many  at  this  day,  tinctured 
with  the  paradoxes  of  this  faith,  will  be  ready  to  say,  how  can 
theological  truths  be  perceived  by  the  understanding?  are 
they  not  spiritual,  and  above  its  comprehension?  explain 
therefore,  if  thou  canst,  the  mystery  of  redemption  and  justifi- 
cation, that  reason  may  view  it,  and  acquiesce  therein.  This 
mystery,  then,  shall  be  opened  in  the  following  manner.  Who 
does  not  know  that  God  is  one,  and  that  besides  Him  there  is 
no  other,  and  that  God  is  essential  love  and  essential  wisdom, 
or,  that  He  is  essential  good  and  essential  truth ;  and  that  the 
self-same  God,  as  to  divine  truth,  which  is  the  Word,  descend- 
ed and  assumed  humanity  to  remove  the  hells,  and  conse- 
quently damnation,  from  man,  which  he  effected  by  combats 
with,  and  victories  over  the  devil,  that  is,  over  all  the  hells, 
which  at  that  time  infested  and  spiritually  slew  every  man 
coming  into  the  world ;  and  that  afterwards  He  glorified  His 
humanity,  by  uniting  in  it  divine  truth  with  divine  good,  and 
thus  returned  to  the  Father,  from  whom  He  came  forth  ?  When 
these  things  are  perceived,  then  the  following  passage  in  John 
may  be  understood  :  "  The  Word  was  with  God,  and  God 
was  the  Word,  and  the  Word  became  flesh,"  chap.  i.  1,  14  : 
and  also  the  following  in  the  same  Evangelist;  "  I  went  forth 
from  the  Father,  and  came  into  the  world ;  again  I  leave  the 
world,  and  go  to  the  Father"  chap.  xvi.  28.  Hence  also  it  is 
evident,  that  unless  the  Lord  had  come  into  the  world,  no 
person  could  have  been  saved,  and  that  they  are  saved  who 


DOCTRINE    OF    THE    NEW    CHURCH.  35 

believe  in  Him,  and  lead  a  good  life.  This  view  of  faith 
presents  itself  as  clear  as  the  day  to  those  who  are  enlightened 
by  the  Word,  and  is  the  frontispiece  of  the  faith  of  the  New 
Church.  See  the  Faith  of  the  New  Church  in  its  universal 
and  in  its  particular  form,  below,  at  n.  116,  117. 

XIII. 

53.  That  the  Tenets  of  the  present  Church  cannot  be  learned 
and  retained  loithoid  great  difficulty,  nor  can  they  be  preached 
or  taught  without  using  great  care  and  caution  to  conceal  their 
nakedness,  because  sound  reason  neither  discerns  nor  receives 
them. 

BRIEF    ANALYSIS. 

59.  That  the  understanding  is  to  be  kept  under  obedience 
to  faith,  is  set  as  a  motto  before  the  tenets  of  the  present 
church,  to  denote  that  their  interiors  are  mysteries,  or  arcana, 
of  too  transcendent  a  nature  to  enter  into  the  upper  region 
of  the  understanding,  and  be  there  perceived,  see  above, 
n.  54.  Those  ministers  of  the  church,  who  affect  to  excel 
in  wisdom,  and  wish  to  be  looked  upon  as  oracles  in  spiritual 
things,  imbibe  and  swallow  down  in  the  schools,  such  things 
especially  as  surpass  the  comprehension  of  others,  which 
they  do  with  avidity,  but  nevertheless  with  difficulty  :  and 
because  they  are  thence  accounted  wise,  and  they  who  have 
distinguished  and  enriched  themselves  from  such  hidden  stores 
are  honoured  with  doctor's  hats  and  episcopal  robes,  they  re- 
volve in  their  thoughts,  and  teach  from  their  pulpits,  scarce 
any  thing  else  but  mysteries  concerning  justification  by  faith 
alone,  and  goods  works  as  her  humble  attendants :  and  from 
their  great  erudition  concerning  both  faith  and  good  works, 
they  in  a  wonderful  manner  sometimes  separate  and  sometimes 
conjoin  them;  comparatively  as  if  they  held  faith  by  itself  in 
one  hand,  and  the  works  of  charity  in  the  other,  and  at  one 
time  extend  their  arms  and  so  separate  them,  and  at  another  time 
bring  their  hands  together,  and  so  conjoin  them.  But  this  shall 
be  illustrated  by  examples.  They  teach,  that  good  works  are 
not  necessary  to  salvation,  because  if  done  by  man  they  are 
meritorious  ;  at  the  same  time  they  also  teach,  that  good  works 
necessarily  follow  faith,  and  that  both  together  make  one  in 
the  article  of  salvation.  They  teach,  that  faith  without  good 
works,  as  being  alive,  justifies ;  and  at  the  same  time,  that 
faith  without  goods  works,  as  being  dead,  does  not  justify. 
They  teach,  that  faith  is  neither  preserved  nor  retained  by 


36  A  BRIEF  EXPOSITION  OF  THE 

good  works ;  and  at  the  same  time,  that  good  works  proceed 
from  faith,  as  fruit  from  a  tree,  light  from  the  sun,  and  heat 
from  fire.  They  teach,  that  good  works  being  adjoined  to 
faith  make  it  perfect ;  and  at  the  same  time,  that  being  con- 
joined as  in  a  marriage,  or  in  one  form,  they  deprive  faith  of 
its  saving  essence.  They  teach,  that  a  Christian  is  not  under 
the  law;  and  at  the  same  time,  that  he  must  be  in  the  daily 
practice  of  the  law.  They  teach,  that  if  good  works  are  in- 
termixed in  the  business  of  salvation  by  faith,  as  in  the  remis- 
sion of  sins,  justification,  regeneration,  vivification,  and  salva- 
tion, they  are  hurtful ;  but  if  not  intermixed,  that  they  are  profit- 
able. They  teach,  that  God  crowns  His  own  gifts,  which 
are  good  Works,  with  rewards  even  of  a  spiritual  nature,  but 
not  with  salvation  and  eternal  life,  because  faith  without  works, 
they  say,  is  entitled  to  the  crown  of  eternal  life.  They  teach, 
that  faith  alone  is  like  a  queen,  who  walks  in  a  stately  manner, 
with  good  works  as  her  train  of  attendants  behind  her ;  but  if 
these  join  themselves  to  her  in  front,  and  embrace  her,  she  is 
cast  from  her  throne,  and  called  an  adulteress.  But  particular- 
ly, when  they  treat  of  faith  and  good  works  at  the  same  time, 
they  view  merit  on  the  one  hand,  and  no  merit  on  the  other,  mak* 
ing  choice  of  expressions  which  they  use  in  two  different  senses, 
one  for  the  laity,  and  the  other  for  the  clergy,  for  the  laity 
that  its  nakedness  may  not  appear,  and  for  the  clergy  that  it 
may.  Consider  now,  whether  a  person  hearing  such  things 
can  draw  from  them  any  doctrine  leading  to  salvation,  or 
whether  he  will  not  rather,  from  the  apparent  contradictions 
therein,  become  blind,  and  afterwards  grope  for  the  objects  of 
salvation,  like  a  person  walking  in  the  dark :  who  in  this  case 
can  tell  from  the  evidence  of  works,  whether  he  hath  any  faith 
or  not ;  and  whether  it  is  better  to  omit  good  works  on  account 
of  the  danger  of  merit,  or  to  do  them  for  fear  of  the  loss  of 
faith?  But  do  you,  my  friend,  separate  and  snatch  yourself 
away  from  such  contradictions,  and  shun  evils  as  sins,  and  do 
good,  and  believe  in  the  Lord,  and  saving  justification  will  be 
given  you. 

XIV. 

60.  That  the  doctrine  of  the  Faith  of  the  present  Church  as- 
cribes to  God  human  properties  ;  as,  that  He  viewed  man  from 
anger,  that  He  required  to  be  reconciled,  that  He  is  reconciled 
through  the  love  He  bore  the  Son,  and  by  His  intercession ;  and 
that  He  required  to  be  appeased  by  the  sight  of  His  Son's  suf- 
ferings, and  thus  to  be  brought  back  to  mercy ;  and  that  He 


DOCTRINE  OF  THE  NEW  CHURCH.  37 

imputes  the  righteousness  of  His  Son  to  an  unrighteous  man 
who  supplicates  it  from  Faith  alone ;  and  that  thus  from  an 
enemy  He  makes  him  a  friend,  and  from  a  child  of  wrath  a 
child  of  grace. 

BRIEF  ANALYSIS. 

61.  Who  does  not  know,  that  God  is  essential  mercy  and 
clemency,  inasmuch  as  He  is  essential  love  and  essential  good- 
ness, and  that  these  properties  are  His  esse  or  essence  ?  And 
who  does  not  hereby  see,  that  it  is  a  contradiction  to  assert, 
that  mercy  itself,  or  goodness  itself,  can  view  man  from  anger, 
become  his  enemy,  turn  Himself  away  from  him,  and  deter- 
mine on  his  damnation,  and  still  continue  to  be  the  same 
Divine  Esse  or  God  1  Such  things  can  scarcely  be  attributed 
to  a  good  man,  but  only  to  a  wicked  man,  thus  not  to  an  angel 
of  heaven,  but  only  to  an  angel  of  hell ;  wherefore  it  is 
abominable  to  ascribe  them  to  God.  That  they  have  been 
ascribed  to  Him,  appears  evident  from  the  declarations  of  many 
fathers,  councils,  and  churches,  from  the  first  ages  to  the  present 
day ;  and  also  from  the  inferences  which  have  necessarily  fol- 
lowed from  first  principles  into  their  derivatives,  or  from  causes 
into  their  effects,  as  from  a  head  into  the  members ;  such  as, 
that  He  required  to  be  reconciled;  that  He  is  reconciled 
through  the  love  He  bears  towards  the  Son,  and  by  His  inter- 
cession and  mediation ;  that  He  required  to  be  appeased  by  the 
view  of  the  extreme  sufferings  of  His  Son,  and  so  to  be  brought 
back  to  mercy,  and  constrained  as  it  were  to  show  it,  and  thus 
from  an  enemy  to  be  made  a  friend,  and  to  adopt  those  who 
were  the  children  of  wrath  as  the  children  of  grace.  That 
the  notion  that  God  can  impute  the  righteousness  and  merits 
of  His  Son  to  an  unrighteous  man,  who  supplicates  it  from 
faith  alone,  is  also  a  mere  human  invention,  will  be  seen  in 
the  last  analysis  of  this  little  work. 

(32.  They  who  have  perceived  that  mere  human  properties 
are  unworthy  of  God,  and  yet  are  attributed  to  Him,  have  said, 
in  order  to  defend  the  system  of  justification  once  conceived, 
and  to  varnish  over  its  outside,  that  anger,  revenge,  damnation, 
and  the  like,  are  predicated  of  His  justice,  and  are  therefore 
mentioned  in  many  parts  of  the  Word,  and  as  it  were  appro- 
priated to  God.  But  by  the  anger  of  God,  in  the  Word,  is 
signified  evil  in  man,  which,  being  contrary  to  God,  is  called 
the  anger  of  God  ;  not  that  God  is  ever  angry  with  man,  but 
that  man,  from  the  evil  that  is  in  him,  is  angry  with  God ;  and 
because  evil  carries  with  it  its  own  punishment,  as  good  does 
4 


38  A  BRIEF  EXPOSITION  OF  THE 

its  own  reward,  therefore  while  evil  punishes  the  evil-doer,  it 
appears  to  him  as  though  he  was  punished  by  God :  the  case 
in  this  respect  is  the  same  as  with  a  criminal,  who  attributes 
his  punishment  to  the  law,  or  like  a  person  who  blames  the 
fire  for  burning  him  when  he  puts  his  hand  into  it,  or  a  drawn 
sword  for  wounding  him  when  he  rushes  upon  the  point  of  it, 
while  his  adversary  is  standing  upon  his  own  defence :  such 
is  the  nature  of  the  justice  of  God.  But  of  this  more  may  be 
seen  in  the  Apocalypse  Revealed,  where  it  treats  of  justice  and 
judgment  in  God  and  from  God,  n.  668.  That  anger  is  as- 
cribed to  Him,  may  be  seen,  n.  635;  as  likewise  revenge,  n. 
658 ;  but  this  is  only  in  the  literal  sense,  which  is  written  by 
appearances  and  correspondences,  and  not  in-  the  spiritual 
sense,  wherein  truth  is  in  its  own  light.  This  I  can  affirm, 
that  whenever  the  angels  hear  any  one  say,  that  God  determin- 
ed in  anger,  on  the  damnation  of  the  human  race,  and  as  an 
enemy  was  reconciled  by  His  Son,  as  by  another  God  begotten 
from  Himself,  they  are  affected  in  a  manner  similar  to  those, 
who,  from  an  uneasiness  in  their  bowels  and  stomach,  are  ex- 
cited to  vomiting ;  on  which  occasions  they  say,  what  can  be 
more  insane  than  to  affirm  such  things  of  God  1 

63.  The  reason  why  they  have  ascribed  human  properties 
to  God,  is,  because  all  spiritual  perception  and  illustration  is 
from  the  Lord  alone ;  for  the  Lord  is  the  Word  or  Divine 
Truth,  and  "is  the  true  light  which  enlighteneth  every  man" 
John  i.  1,  9  :  he  also  says,  "  I  am  come  a  light  into  the  world, 
that  whosoever  bclicveth  in  Me  may  not  abide  in  darkness" 
John  xii.  46 ;  and  this  light,  and  perception  thence  derived, 
enter  by  influx  into  such  only  as  acknowledge  Him  for  the 
God  of  heaven  and  earth,  and  approach  Him  alone,  and  not 
into  such  as  entertain  an  idea  of  three  Gods,  which  has  been 
the  case  from  the  time  the  Christian  church  began  to  be  estab- 
lished :  this  idea  of  three  Gods,  being  a  merely  natural  idea, 
is  receptive  of  no  other  light  than  natural  light,  and  cannot 
be  opened  to  admit  and  receive  spiritual  light ;  hence  it  is, 
that  they  have  seen  no  other  properties  in  God,  than  such  as 
are  natural.  Furthermore,  had  they  seen  how  incongruous 
these  human  properties  are  to  the  divine  essence,  and  had  they 
removed  them  from  the  article  of  justification,  they  must  then 
have  entirely  departed  from  their  religion,  which  from  the  be- 
ginning was  founded  on  the  worship  of  three  Gods,  thus  before 
the  time  appointed  for  the  New  Church,  when  the  fullness  and 
restoration  [of  the  Christian  religion]  is  to  take  place. 


DOCTRINE  OF  THE  NEW  CHURCH. 


XV. 

64.  That  from  the  Faith  of  the  present  Church  have  been 
produced ,  and  still  may  be  produced,  monstrous  Births ;  such 
as,  instantaneous  Salvation  by  an  immediate  act  of  Mercy ; 
Predestination ;  the  notions  that  God  has  no  respect  unto  the 
actions  of  Men,  but  unto  Faith  alone ;  that  there  is  no  con- 
nection  between  Charity  and  Faith ;  that  Man  in  Conversion 
is  like  a  Stock ;  with  many  more  Heresies  of  the  same  kind ; 
likewise  concerning  the  Sacraments  of  liaptism  and  the  Holy 
Supper,  as  to  the  advantages  reasonably  to  be  expected  from 
them,  when  considered  according  to  the  Doctrine  of  Justifica- 
tion by  Faith  alone ;  as  also  with  regard  to  the  Person  of  Christ ; 
and  that  the  Heresies  from  the  first  ages  to  the  present  day, 
have  sprung  up  from  no  other  source,  than  from  the  idea  of 
Three  Gods. 

BRIEF  ANALYSIS. 

65.  That  no  other  salvation  is  believed  at  this  day,  than 
such  as  is  instantaneous,  from  an  immediate  act  of  mercy,  is 
evident  from  hence,  that  a  mere  faith  of  the  mouth,  accompani- 
ed with  a  confidence  proceeding  from  the  lungs,  and  not  with 
charity,  (whereby,  nevertheless,  the  faith  of  the  mouth  becomes 
real,  and  the  confidence  of  the  lungs  becomes  that  of  the  heart,) 
is  supposed  to  complete  all  the  work  of  salvation ;  for  if  the 
co-operation  is  taken  away,  which  is  effected  through  the  ex- 
ercises of  charity  by  man  as  of  himself,  the  spontaneous  co- 
operation which  is  said  to  follow  faith  of  itself,  becomes  passive 
action,  which  is  nonsense  and  a  contradiction  in  terms ;  for 
supposing  this  to  be  the  case,  what  need  would  there  be  of  any 
thing  more  than  some  such  momentary  and  immediate  prayer 
as  this :  "  Save  me,  O  God,  for  the  sake  of  the  sufferings  of 
Thy  Son,  who  hath  washed  me  from  my  sins  in  His  own  blood, 
and  presents  me  pure,  righteous,  and  holy  before  Thy  throne;" 
and  this  ejaculation  of  the  mouth  might  avail  even  at  the  hour 
of  death,  if  not  sooner,  as  a  seed  of  justification.  That  never- 
theless instantaneous  salvation,  by  an  immediate  act  of  mercy, 
is  at  this  day  a  fiery  flying  serpent  in  the  church,  and  that 
thereby  religion  is  abolished,  security  introduced,  and  dam- 
nation imputed  to  the  Lord,  may  be  seen  in  n.  340  of  the  work 
concerning  Divine  Providence,  published  at  Amsterdam  in 
the  year  1764. 

66.  Predestination  is  also  a  birth  conceived  and  brought  forth 
from  the  faith  of  the  present  church,  because  it  originates  in 


40  A  BRIEF  EXPOSITION  OF  THE 

a  belief  of  instantaneous  salvation  by  an  immediate  act  of 
mercy,  and  in  a  belief  that  man  has  not  the  smallest  degree 
of  ability  or  free-will  in  spiritual  things,  concerning  which  see 
below,  n.  68 ;  that  this  follows  from  the  forementioned  tenets, 
as  one  fiery  serpent  from  another,  or  one  spider  from  another, 
may  be  seen  above :  predestination  also  follows  from  the  sup- 
position, that  man  is  as  it  were  inanimate  in  the  act  of  conversion , 
that  he  is  like  a  stock,  and  that  afterwards  he  is  unconscious 
whether  he  is  a  stock  made  alive  by  grace,  or  not ;  for  it  is 
said,  that  God,  by  the  hearing  of  the  Word,  gives  faith,  when 
and  where  He  willcth,  n.  10  (a),  consequently  of  His  good 
pleasure ;  and  likewise  that  election  is  of  the  mere  grace  of 
God,  independently  of  any  action  on  man's  part,  whether  such 
activity  proceed  from  the  powers  of  nature  or  of  grace  :  Formula 
Concordia,  p.  821.  App.  p.  182.  The  works  which  follow 
faith  as  evidences  thereof,  appear  to  the  mind  while  it  reflects 
on  them  like  the  works  of  the  flesh,  while  the  spirit  which  op- 
erates them  does  not  make  known  from  what  origin  they  pro- 
ceed, but  supposes  them,  like  faith,  to  be  the  effects  of  grace 
an<l  the  good  pleasure  of  God.  Hence  it  is  plain,  that  the 
tenet  of  predestination  hath  sprung  from  the  faith  of  the  present 
church,  as  a  sucker  from  its  root ;  and  I  can  venture  to  assert, 
that  it  has  followed  as  the  almost  unavoidable  consequence  of 
such  faith.  This  tenet  was  first  broached  by  the  Predestinari- 
ans,  and  afterwards  adopted  by  Godoschalcus,  then  by  Calvin 
and  his  followers,  and  lastly  established  and  confirmed  by  the 
Synod  of  Dort,  whence  it  was  conveyed  into  the  church,  by  the 
Supra  and  Infra  Lapsarians,  as  the  palladium  of  religion,  or 
rather  as  the  head  of  Gorgon  or  Medusa  engraved  on  the  shield 
of  Pallas.  But  what  more  detestable,  or  more  cruel  notion 
could  have  been  devised  and  entertained  of  God,  than  that  any 
part  of  the  human  race  are  predestinated  to  damnation  ?  For 
it  would  be  a  horrible  idea,  that  the  Lord,  who  is  essential 
love  and  essential  mercy,  designed  that  the  bulk  of  mankind 
should  be  born  for  hell,  or  that  myriads  of  myriads  should  be 
born  devoted  to  destruction,  or,  in  other  words,  born  to  be 
devils  and  satans  ;  and  that,  out  of  His  divine  wisdom,  which 
is  infinite,  He  should  make  no  provision  for  those  who  lead 
good  lives,  and  acknowledge  God,  whereby  they  might  escape 
everlasting  fire  and  punishment:  whereas  the  Lord  is  the 
Creator  and  Saviour  of  all,  and  He  alone  leadeth  all,  and  will- 
eth  not  the  death  of  any ;  what  then  can  be  asserted  or  con- 
ceived more  horrible,  than  that  multitudes  of  nations  and  peo- 
ple should,  under  His  auspices,  and  in  His  sight,  from  a  pre- 


DOCTRINE  OF  THE  NEW  CHURCH.  41 

destinated  decree,  be  delivered  up  to  the  devil  as  his  prey,  to 
glut  his  insatiate  appetite  1  Yet  this  is  a  birth  of  the  faith  of 
the  present  church ;  but  the  faith  of  the  New  Church  abhors 
it  as  a  monster. 

67.  That  God  has  no  respect  unto  the  actions  of  men,  but 
unto  faith  alone,  is  a  new  heresy,  the  offspring  of  the  two  for- 
mer, concerning  which  we  have  already  spoken  above,  n.  64, 
65 ;  and  what  is  wonderful,  it  is  derived  from  faith  alone  deeply 
examined  and  attentively  considered,  which  has  been  done  by 
the  most  sagacious  divines  of  this  age,  and  is  a  third  offspring, 
begotten  by  that  faith,  and  brought  forth  by  predestination, 
that  she-wolf,  as  a  mother ;  but  whereas  it  is  insane,  impious, 
and  machiavelian,  it  has  hitherto  been  kept  included  as  it  were 
in  the  uterine  coats,  or  secundines,  that  came  from  the  mother, 
lest  its  hideous  form  should  appear  :  but  the  madness  and  im- 
piety of  it  may  be  seen  described  and  exploded  in  the  Apoc- 
alypse Revealed ',  n.  463» 

68.  That  there  is  not  any  connection  between  charity  and 
faith,  follows  from  these  passages  in  their  doctrine  of  justification, 
viz.  That  faith  is  imputed  for  righteousness  without  works, 
n.  12,  (a) :  that  faith  does  not  justify  as  being  formed  from 
charity,  n.  12,  (b) :  that  good  works  are  utterly  to  be  excluded, 
in  treating  of  justification  and  eternal  life,  n.  12,  (*)  :  that  good 
works  are  not  necessary  unto  salvation,  and  that  the  assertion 
of  their  necessity  ought  to  be  totally  rejected  by  the  church,  n. 
12,  (e)  (h)  (')  (k) :  that  salvation  and  faith  are  neither  preserv- 
ed nor  retained  by  charity  and  the  works  thereof,  n.  12,  (m) 
(n) :  that  good  works,  when  blended  in  the  matter  of  justifica- 
tion, are  pernicious,  n.  14,  (s) :  that  the  works  of  the  spirit, 
or  of  grace,  which  follow  faith  as  its  fruits,  contribute  nothing 
to  man's  salvation,  n.  14,  (d),  and  elsewhere :  from  all  which 
it  inevitably  follows,  that  this  faith  of  theirs  has  no  connection 
with  charity,  and  if  it  had,  that  the  connection,  according  to 
their  notion,  would  become  injurious  to  salvation,  because  in- 
jurious to  faith,  which  thus  would  no  longer  be  the  only  means 
of  salvation.  That  no  connection  between  charity  and  that 
faith  can  actually  exist,  has  been  shown  above,  n.  47,  48,  49, 
50 ;  wherefore  it  may  be  said,  that  it  was  providentially 
ordered,  that  the  Reformers  should  be  so  zealous  to  reject 
charity  and  good  works  from  their  faith ;  for  had  they  con- 
joined them,  it  would  have  been  like  conjoining  a  leopard  with 
a  sheep,  a  wolf  with  a  lamb,  or  a  hawk  with  a  dove ;  that  this 
faith  is  also  described  in  the  Apocalypse  by  a  leopard,  may  be 
seen  in  chap.  xiii.  2,  and  also  in  the  explanation  thereof,  in  the 

4* 


42  A  BRIEF  EXPOSITION  OF  THE 

Apocalypse  Revealed,  n.  572.  But  what  is  a  church  without 
faith,  and  what  is  faith  without  charity,  consequently  what  is 
a  church  without  the  marriage  of  faith  and  charity  1  see  n.  48 : 
this  marriage  constitutes  the  real  church,  and  is  the  New 
Church  which  is  now  establishing  by  the  Lord. 

69.  That  man  in  his  conversion  is  like  a  stock,  the  faith  of 
the  present  church  acknowledges  as  its  natural  offspring  in 
these  express  words  :  That  man  has  not  the  smallest  degree  of 
ability  in  spiritual  things,  n.  15,  (a)  (b)  (c) ;  that  in  conver- 
sion he  is  like  a  stock,  a  stone,  and  a  statue,  and  that  he  cannot 
so  much  as  accommodate  and  apply  himself  to  receive  grace, 
but  is  like  something  that  has  not  the  use  of  any  of  the  senses, 
n.  15,  (c)  (d) ;  that  man  has  only  a  locomotive  power,  where- 
by he  is  capable  of  going  to  church  to  hear  the  Word  and  the 
Gospel,  n.  15,  (e) ;  but  that  a  person  who  is  regenerate  by  virtue 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  from  the  new  powers  and  gifts  which  he 
has  received,  does  in  a  certain  manner  co-operate,  n.  15,  (k) ; 
besides  many  other  tilings  to  the  same  purpose.  This  descrip- 
tion of  man  in  his  conversion,  and  during  his  repentance  from 
evil  works,  is  also  an  offspring  produced  from  the  said  egg  or 
womb,  that  is,  from  justification  by  faith  alone,  to  the  intent 
that  man's  works  may  be  totally  abolished,  and  not  suffered  to 
have  the  least  conjunction  with  faith,  not  even  to  touch  it. 
But  seeing  that  such  ideas  are  repugnant  to  the  common  per- 
ception of  all  men  concerning  man's  conversion  and  repen- 
tance, they  have  added  the  following  words  :  "  There  is  a  wide 
difference  between  persons  baptized  and  persons  unbaptized, 
for  it  is  the  doctrine  of  Paul,  that  all  baptized  persons  have 
put  on  Christ,  and  arc  truly  regenerated;  they  are  then  endow- 
ed with  a  freedom  of  will,  whereby  they  not  only  can  hear  the 
Word  of  God,  but  can  also  assent  to  the  same,  and  embrace  it 
by  faith,"  n.  15,  (m),  and  in  the  Formula  Concordia,  p.  675. 
I  appeal  to  men  of  understanding,  and  beg  them  to  weigh  and 
consider,  whether  this  latter  quotation  be  any  way  consistent 
with  the  preceding  ones,  and  whether  it  be  not  a  contradic- 
tion to  say  that  a  Christian  in  a  state  of  conversion  is  like  a 
stock  or  a  stone,  so  that  he  is  not  able  so  much  as  to  accom- 
modate himself  to  the  receiving  of  grace,  when  yet  every  Chris- 
tian is  a  baptized  person,  and  by  baptism  became  possessed, 
not  only  of  a  power  to  hear  the  Word  of  God,  but  also  to  assent 
to  it,  and  embrace  it  by  faith  ;  wherefore  the  comparing  a  Chris- 
tian to  a  stock  or  a  stone  is  a  simile  that  ought  to  be  banished 
from  all  Christian  churches,  and  to  be  done  away,  like  a  meteor 
that  vanishes  from  before  the  eyes  of  a  man  waking  out  of 


DOCTRINE  OF  THE  NEW  CHURCH. 


43 


sleep ;  for  what  can  be  more  repugnant  to  reason  ?  But  in  order 
to  elucidate  the  doctrine  of  the  New  Church  concerning  man's 
conversion,  I  will  transcribe  the  following  passage  from  one  of 
the  memorable  relations  in  the  Apocalypse  Revealed.  * •  How  plain 
is  it  to  see,  that  every  man  has  liberty  to  think  about  God,  or 
not  to  think  about  Him ;  consequently  that  every  man  has  the 
same  liberty  in  spiritual  things,  as  he  has  in  civil  and  moral 
things  :  the  Lord  gives  this  liberty  continually  to  all ;  where- 
fore man  becomes  guilty  or  not  guilty  accordingly  :  man  is  man 
by  virtue  of  this  power,  whereas  a  beast  is  a  beast  in  conse- 
quence of  its  not  possessing  such  a  power ;  so  that  man  is  capable 
of  reforming  and  regenerating  himself  as  of  himself,  provided 
he  only  acknowledge  in  his  heart  that  his  ability  is  from  the 
Lord :  every  one  who  does  the  work  of  repentance,  is  reform- 
ed and  regenerated  :  both  must  be  done  by  man  as  of  himself, 
but  this  as  of  himself  is  also  from  the  Lord,  because  the  Lord 
gives  both  the  power  to  will  and  perform,  and  never  takes  it 
away  from  any  one.  It  is  true  that  man  cannot  contribute 
any  thing  thereunto,  nevertheless  he  is  not  created  a  statue, 
but  a  man,  to  do  the  work  of  repentance  from  the  Lord  as 
from  himself:  in  this  alone  consists  the  reciprocality  of  love 
and  faith,  and  of  conjunction  thereby,  which  the  Lord  earnest- 
ly wills  to  be  done  on  the  part  of  man :  in  a  word,  act  of 
yourselves,  and  believe  that  you  act  from  the  Lord,  for  thus 
you  will  act  as  of  yourselves.  But  the  power  so  to  act  is  not 
implanted  in  man  by  creation,  because  to  act  of  himself  is  the 
prerogative  of  the  Lord  alone,  but  it  is  given  continually;  and 
in  this  case  in  proportion  as  man  does  good  and  acquires 
truth  as  of  himself,  he  is  an  angel  of  heaven  ;  but  in  proportion 
as  he  does  evil,  and  in  consequence  thereof  confirms  himself 
in  what  is  false,  which  also  is  done  as  of  himself,  in  the  same 
proportion  he  is  a  spirit  of  hell :  that  in  this  latter  case  also  man 
acts  as  of  himself,  is  evident  from  his  prayers,  as  when  he  prays 
that  he  may  be  preserved  from  the  devil,  lest  he  should  seduce 
him,  and  bring  his  own  evils  upon  him.  Every  one  however 
contracts  guilt,  who  believes  that  he  does  of  himself  either 
good  or  evil ;  but  not  he  who  believes  that  he  acts  as  of  him- 
self: for  whatsoever  a  man  believes  he  does  of  himself,  that 
he  appropriates  to  himself;  if  he  believes  that  he  does  good 
of  himself,  he  appropriates  to  himself  that  good,  and  makes  it 
his  own,  when  nevertheless  it  is  of  God  and  from  God;  and  if 
he  believes  that  he  does  evil  of  himself,  he  also  appropriates 
that  evil  to  himself,  and  makes  it  his  own,  when  yet  it  is  of 
the  devil  and  from  the  devil.'5 


44 


A  BRIEF  EXPOSITION  OF  THE 


That  many  other  false  tenets,  even  concerning  the  sacra- 
ments of  baptism  and  the  holy  supper,  as  to  the  benefits  reason- 
ably to  be  expected  from  them,  when  considered  according  to 
the  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith  alone;  as  likewise  concern- 
ing the  person  of  Christ ;  together  with  all  the  heresies  from 
the  first  ages  down  to  the  present  day ;  have  flowed  from  no 
other  source,  than  from  a  doctrine  founded  on  the  idea  of  three 
Gods ;  we  have  not  room  to  demonstrate  within  the  limits  of 
this  epitome,  but  it  shall  be  shown  and  proved  at  large  in  the 
work  itself. 

XVI. 

70.  That  the  last  state  of  the  present  Church,  when  it  is  at 
an  end,  is  meant  by  the  Consummation  of  the  Age,  and  the 
Coming  of  the  Lord  at  that  period,  Matt.  xxiv.  3. 

BRIEF   ANALYSIS. 

71.  We  read  in  Matthew,  "  The  disciples  came  to  Jesus, 
and  showed  Him  the  buildings  of  the  temple ;  and  Jesus  said 
unto  them,  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  there  shall  not  be  left  here 
one  stone  upon  another,  which  shall  not  be  thrown  down.  And 
the  disciples  said  unto  Him,  tell  us  when  these  things  shall  be, 
and  especially  what  shall  be  the  sign  of  Thy  coming,  and  of 
the  consummation  of  the  age,"  chap.  xxiv.  1,  2,  3.  At  this 
day,  the  learned  clergy  and  laity  understand,  by  the  destruction 
of  the  temple,  its  destruction  by  Vespasian;  and  by  the  coming 
of  the  Lord,  and  the  consummation  of  the  age,  they  understand 
the  end  and  destruction  of  the  world :  but  by  the  destruction 
of  the  temple  is  not  only  meant  the  destruction  thereof  by  the 
Romans,  but  likewise  the  destruction  of  the  present  church ; 
and  by  the  consummation  of  the  age,  and  the  coming  of  the  Lord 
at  that  period,  is  meant  the  end  of  the  present  church  and  the 
establishment  of  a  New  Church  by  the  Lord  :  that  these  things 
are  there  meant,  is  evident  from  the  whole  of  that  chapter  from 
beginning  to  end,  which  treats  solely  of  the  successive  declen- 
sions and  corruptions  of  the  Christian  church,  even  to  its  de- 
struction, when  it  is  at  an  end.  That  by  the  temple  in  a  limit- 
ed sense  is  meant  the  temple  at  Jerusalem,  in  an  extensive 
sense  the  church  of  the  Lord,  in  a  more  extensive  sense  the 
angelic  heaven,  and  in  the  most  extensive  sense  the  Lord  as 
to  His  Humanity,  may  be  seen  in  the  Apocalypse  Revealed,  n. 
529.  That  by  the  consummation  of  the  age  is  meant  the  end 
of  the  church,  which  comes  to  pass  when  there  remains  no 
truth  of  doctrine  from  the  Word  but  what  has  been  falsified, 


DOCTRINE  OF  THE  NEW  CHURCH.  45 

and  thus  consummated,  is  shown  in  n.  658,  67G,  750,  of  the 
same  work.  That  by  the  coming  of  the  Lord  is  meant  His 
coming  in  the  Word,  and  at  the  same  time  the  establishment  of 
a  New  Church  instead  of  the  former,  which  is  then  brought 
to  its  consummation  or  end,  evidently  appears  from  His  own 
words  in  the  same  chapter,  from  verse  30  to  34  ;  as  likewise 
from  the  two  last  chapters  xxi.  and  xxii.  of  the  Apocalypse, 
where  are  these  words :  "  IJesus  am  the  Root  and  the  Offspring 
of  David,  the  Bright  and  Morning  Star ;  and  the  spirit  and 
the  bride  say,  Come;  and  let  him  that  hcareth  say,  Come;  and 
him  that  is  athirst,  let  him  come :  Yea,  I  come  qidckly  :  Amen, 
wen  so,  come,  Lord  Jesus,"  chap.  xxii.  17,  20. 

72.  That  the  church  is  then  at  an  end,  when  there  are  no 
longer  any  truths  of  faith,  and  hence  no  goods  of  charity  there- 
in, is  self-evident :  that  falses  of  faith  extinguish  the  truths  of 
doctrine,  and  evils  of  life  consume  the  goods  of  charity ;  and 
that  wherever  falses  of  faith  are,  there  likewise  are  evils  of  life, 
and  that  wherever  evils  of  life  are,  there  likewise  are  falses  of 
faith ;  will  be  demonstrated  in  their  proper  places,  when  we  come 
to  treat  of  these  matters.  The  reason  why  it  has  been  hither t:> 
unknown,  that  by  the  consummation  of  the  age  is  meand  the  end 
of  the  church,  is,  because  when  falses  are  taught,  and  when  the 
doctrine  resulting  from  them  is  believed  and  honoured  as  ortho- 
dox, then  it  cannot  possibly  be  known  that  the  church  is  to  be 
brought  to  a  consummation ;  for  falses  are  regarded  as  truths,  and 
truths  as  falses,  and  then  the  false  explodes  the  truth,  and  black- 
ens it,  like  ink  poured  into  clear  water,  or  soot  thrown  upon  white 
paper.  For  it  is  the  general  opinion,  and  the  most  learned  of 
the  present  age  proclaim  it,  that  they  enjoy  the  purest  light  of 
the  Gospel,  notwithstanding  they  are  enveloped  in  thick  dark- 
ness ;  to  such  a  degree  of  blindness  are  they  reduced  by  the 
white  speck  that  has  covered  over  the  pupils  of  their  eyes. 

73.  That  in  the  24th  chapter  of  Matthew,  the  13th  of  Mark, 
and  the  21st  of  Luke,  where  similar  passages  occur,  is  not 
described  the  destruction  of  the  temple  and  Jerusalem,  but 
that  the  successive  changes  of  the  state  of  the  Christian  church 
are  foretold,  in  regular  order,  even  to  its  last  state,  when  it 
comes  to  an  end,  will  be  shown  in  the  large  work ;  and  in  the 
mean  time,  it  may  appear  from  these  words  in  the  abovemen- 
tioned  evangelists  :  "  Then  shall  appear  the  sign  of  the  Son  of 
Man,  and  then  shall  all  the  tribes  of  the  earth  icail;  and  they 
shall  see  the  Son  of  Man  coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  icith 
power  and  glory  :  and  He  shall  send  His  angels  with  a  great 
sound  of  a  trumpet,  and  they  shall  gather  together  His  elect 


46  A  BRIEF  EXPOSITION  OF  THE 

from  one  end  of  the  heavens  to  the  other  end  thereof"  Matt, 
xxiv.  30, 31 ;  Mark  xiii.  26, 27 ;  Luke  xxi.  27  :  it  is  well  known, 
that  these  things  were  neither  seen  nor  heard  at  the  destruc- 
tion of  Jerusalem,  and  that  it  is  the  prevailing  opinion  at  this  day, 
that  they  will  come  to  pass  at  the  time  of  the  last  judgment. 
We  likewise  read  of  similar  things  in  the  Apocalypse,  which 
from  beginning  to  end  treats  solely  of  the  last  state  of  the 
church,  where  are  these  words  :  "  Behold,  Jesus  Christ  cometh 
in  the  clouds,  and  all  the  tribes  of  the  earth  shall  wail  because 
of  Him"  chap.  i.  5,7  :  the  particular  explication  of  these  words 
may  be  seen  in  the  Apocalypse  Revealed,  n.  24  to  28 ;  also 
what  is  signified  by  the  tribes  of  the  earth,  and  their  wailing, 
n.  27,  348,  349. 

XVII. 

74.  That  the  Infestation  from  Falses,  and  thence  the  Con- 
summation of  every  Truth,  or  the  Desolation,  which  at  this 
Day  prevails  in  the  Christian  Churches,  is  meant  by  the  great 
Affliction,  such  as  was  not  from  the  Beginning  of  the  World, 
nor  eveK  shall  be,  Matt.  xxiv.  21. 


BRIEF    ANALYSIS. 

75.  That  the  successive  declensions  and  corruptions  of  the 
Christian  church  are  foretold  and  described  by  the  Lord  in 
the  24th  chapter  of  Matthew,  may  be  seen  above,  n.  73 : 
after  having  spoken  of  false  prophets  that  should  arise,  and  of 
the  abomination  of  desolation  wrought  by  them,  verses  11,  15, 
he  adds,  "  Then  shall  be  great  affliction,  such  as  was  not  from 
the  beginning  of  the  world  until  now,  nor  ever  shall  be,'1  verse 
21 ;  whence  it  is  evident,  that  by  great  affliction,  in  this  as 
well  as  in  other  places  throughout  the  Word,  is  meant  the  in- 
festation of  truth  by  falses,  until  there  remain  no  genuine  truth 
derived  from  the  Word,  which  is  not  falsified  and  by  that  means 
consummated.  This  has  come  to  pass,  by  reason  that  the 
churches  have  not  acknowledged  the  unity  of  God  in  the  trinity, 
and  His  trinity  in  unity,  in  one  person,  but  in  three,  and  hence 
have  founded  a  church  in  the  mind  upon  the  idea  of  three  Gods, 
and  in  the  mouth  upon  the  confession  of  one  God ;  for  by  this 
means  they  have  separated  themselves  from  the  Lord,  and  at 
length  to  such  a  degree,  that  they  have  no  idea  left  of  there 
being  any  Divinity  in  His  Human  Nature,  (see  the  Apocalypse 
Revealed,  n.  294,)  when  nevertheless  the  Lord  as  to  His  Hu- 
manity is  Divine  Truth  Itself,  and  Divine  Light  Itself,  as  He 


BS£    •**> 


DOCTRINE  OF  THE  NEW  CHURCH.  47 

abundantly  teaches  in  His  Word ;  hence  is  the  great  affliction 
so  prevalent  at  the  present  day :  that  this  has  been  principally 
brought  on  by  the  doctrine  of  justification  and  imputation 
through  the  medium  of  faith  alone,  will  be  shown  in  the  follow- 
ing pages. 

76.  This  affliction,  or  infestation  of  truth  by  falses,  is  treat- 
ed of  in  seven  chapters  of  the  Apocalypse  ;  and  is  what  is  meant 
by  the  black  horse  and  the  pale  horse  going  forth  from  the 
book,  the  seals  whereof  the  Lamb  had  opened,  chap.  vi.  5  to 
8 ;  and  by  the  beast  ascending  out  of  the  abyss,  which  made 
war  against  the  two  witnesses,  and  slew  them,  chap.  xi.  7,  and 
following  verses ;  as  also  by  the  dragon  which  stood  before  the 
woman  who  was  ready  to  be  delivered,  in  order  to  devour  her 
child,  and  pursued  her  into  the  desert,  and  there  cast  out  of 
his  mouth  water  as  a  flood,  that  he  might  cause  her  to  be  car- 
ried away  of  the  flood,  chap.  xii. ;  and  likewise  by  the  beast 
out  of  the  sea,  whose  body  was  like  that  of  a  leopard,  his  feet 
like  those  of  a  bear,  and  his  mouth  like  that  of  a  lion,  chap, 
xiii.  2 ;  also  by  the  three  unclean  spirits  like  frogs,  which  came 
out  of  the  mouth  of  the  dragon,  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  beast, 
and  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  false  prophet,  chap.  xvi.  13 ;  and 
moreover  by  these  particulars,  that  after  the  seven  angels  had 
poured  out  the  phials  of  the  wrath  of  God,  wherein  were  the 
seven  last  plagues,  upon  the  earth,  upon  the  sea,  upon  the  rivers 
and  fountains,  upon  the  sun,  upon  the  throne  of  the  beast, 
upon  Euphrates,  and  last  of  all  upon  the  air,  there  was  a  great 
earthquake,  such  as  had  never  been  seen  since  men  were 
created  upon  the  earth,  chap.  xvi. :  the  earthquake  here  sig- 
nifies an  inversion  of  the  church,  which  is  occasioned  by 
falses  and  falsifications  of  truth.  The  like  things  are  under- 
stood by  these  words :  "  The  angel  put  forth  his  sickle,  and 
gathered  the  vine  of  the  earth,  and  cast  it  into  the  great 
wine-press  of  the  wrath  of  God ;  and  the  wine-press  was  trod- 
den, and  blood  came  out  of  the  wine-press,  even  unto  the  horses' 
bridles,  for  the  space  of  a  thousand  and  six  hundred  furlongs," 
chap.  xiv.  19,  20  ;  where  blood  signifies  truth  falsified  :  besides 
many  other  passages  to  the  same  purpose,  in  those  seven  chap- 
ters :  but  if  you  desire  further  information  in  this  matter,  turn 
to  the  explication  thereof,  and  the  memorable  relations  at  the 
end  of  the  chapters. 

XVIII. 

77.   That  there  would  be  neither  Love,  nor  Faith,  nor  the 
Knowledges  of  Good  and  Truth,  in  the  last  time  of  the  Chris- 


48  A  BRIEF  EXPOSITION  OF  THE 

tian  Church,  when  it  draws  to  an  end,  is  understood  by  these 
words  in  the  same  24*7*  chapter  of  Matthew:  "  After  the  afflic- 
tion of  those  days,  the  Sun  shall  be  darkened,  and  the  Moon 
shall  not  give  her  light,  and  the  Stars  shall  fall  from  Heaven, 
and  the  Powers  of  the  Heavens  shall  be  shaken"  verse  29. 


BRIEF    ANALYSIS. 

78.  In  the  prophetic  parts  of  the  Word,  the  like  things  are 
said  of  the  sun,  moon,  and  stars,  as  here  in  Matthew,  chap, 
xxiv.  29.  Thus  it  is  written  in  Isaiah  :  "  Behold  the  cruel  day 
of  Jehovah  cometh,  the  stars  of  heaven  and  the  constellations 
thereof  shall  not  give  their  light,  the  sun  shall  be  darkened  at 
his  rising,  and  the  moon  shall  not  cause  her  light  to  shine," 
Isaiah  xiii.  9,  10:  soinEzekiel:  "  When  I  shall  put  thee  out, 
I  will  cover  the  heavens,  and  make  the  stars  thereof  dark ;  I 
will  cover  the  sun  with  a  cloud,  and  the  moon  shall  not  give  her 
light,  and  I  loill  set  darkness  upon  thy  land,"  xxxii.  7,  8  :  in 
Joel :  "  The  day  of  Jehovah  cometh,  a  day  of  darkness ;  the  sun 
and  moon  shall  not  give  their  light,  and  the  stars  shall  icith- 
draw  their  shining,"  ii.  10  :  again  in  the  same  prophet :  "  The 
sun  shall  be  turned  into  darkness,  and  the  moon  into  blood,  be- 
fore the  great  day  of  Jehovah  shall  come,"  iii.  4  :  "  The  day  of 
Jehovah  is  near  in  the  valley  of  decision ;  the  sun  and  moon  are 
darkened,"  iv.  15  :  in  the  Apocalypse :  "  The  fourth  angel 
sounded,  and  the  third  part  of  the  sun  was  smitten,  and  the  third 
part  of  the  stars,  and  the  day  shone  not  for  a  third  part  of  it," 
vii.  12:  and  in  another  place,  "  The  sun  became  black  as  sack- 
cloth of  hair,  and  the  moon  became  as  blood,"  vi.  12.  All  the 
former  passages  treat  of  the  last  time  of  the  Jewish  church, 
which  was  when  the  Lord  came  into  the  world ;  the  same  thing 
is  meant  here  in  Matthew  and  in  the  Apocalypse,  only  in  ref- 
erence to  the  last  time  of  the  Christian  church,  when  the  Lord 
is  to  come  again,  but  in  the  Word,  which  is  Himself,  and  in 
which  He  is ;  wherefore  immediately  after  those  words  in 
Matthew  xxiv.  29,  it  follows,  "  And  then  shall  appear  the  sign 
of  the  Son  of  Man  coming  in  the  clouds  of  the  heavens,"  verse 
30.  By  the  sun,  in  the  above  passages,  is  meant  love,  by  the 
moon,  faith,  and  by  the  stars,  the  knowledges  of  good  and  truth, 
and  by  the  powers  of  the  heavens,  those  three  as  the  supports 
and  firmaments  of  the  heavens  where  angels  are,  and  of  the 
churches  where  men  are  :  by  the  above,  therefore,  collected  into 
one  sense,  is  meant,  that  there  would  be  no  love,  nor  faith,  nor 
knowledges  of  good  and  truth,  remaining  in  the  Christian 


DOCTRINE  OF  THE  NEW  CHURCH.  49 

church,  in  the  last  time  thereof,  when  it  draws  to  its  end. 
That  the  sun  signifies  love,  has  been  shown  in  the  Apocalypse 
Revealed,  n.  53,  54,  413,  796,  831,  961 ;  that  the  moon  signi- 
fies faith,  n.  53,  332,  413,  433,  533;  that  the  stars  signify 
knowledges  of  good  and  truth,  n.  51,  74,  333,  408,  419,  954, 
of  the  same  work. 

79.  That,  according  to  the  above  prediction,  there  is  at  this 
day  so  great  darkness  throughout  the  Christian  churches,  that 
the  sun  gives  no  light  by  day,  nor  the  moon  and  stars  any  light 
by  night,  is  occasioned  solely  by  the  doctrine  of  justification 
by  faith  alone ;  for  it  inculcates  faith  as  the  only  means  of 
salvation  ;  of  the  influx,  progress,  indwelling,  operation,  and 
efficacy  of  which  no  one  has  hitherto  seen  any  sign  ;  and  into 
which  neither  the  law  of  the  decalogue,  nor  charity,  nor  good 
works,  nor  repentance,  nor  desires  after  newness  of  life,  have 
any  entrance,  or  are  in  the  smallest  degree  connected  with  it ; 
for  it  is  asserted,  that  they  spontaneously  follow,  without  being 
of  any  use  either  to  preserve  faith  or  to  procure  salvation.  The 
above  doctrine  likewise  teaches,  that  faith  alone  imparts  to  the 
regenerate,  or  those  who  are  possessed  of  it,  full  liberty,  so  as 
to  be  no  longer  under  the  law ;  moreover  that  Christ  covers 
over  their  sins  before  God  the  Father,  who  forgives  them  as 
though  they  were  not  seen,  and  crowns  them  with  renovation, 
holiness,  and  eternal  life.  These  and  many  other  things  of  a 
like  nature  are  the  interiors  of  that  doctrine ;  the  exteriors, 
which  do  not  gain  admission,  are  valuable  sayings  concerning 
charity,  good  works,  acts  of  repentance,  and  exercises  of  the 
law ;  yet  these  are  accounted  by  them  merely  as  slaves  and 
drudges,  which  follow  their  mistress,  faith,  without  being  per- 
mitted to  join  in  her  company :  but  forasmuch  as  they  know 
that  the  laity  account  these  things  as  equally  necessary  to  salva- 
tion with  faith,  they  carefully  subjoin  them  in  their  sermons  and 
discourses,  and  pretend  to  conjoin  them  with  and  insert  them 
into  justification ;  this,  however,  they  do  merely  to  tickle  the 
ears  of  the  vulgar,  and  to  defend  their  oracles,  that  they  may 
not  appear  mere  riddles,  or  like  the  vain  responses  of  sooth- 
sayers. 

80.  In  order  to  confirm  the  above  assertions,  I  will  adduce 
the  following  passages  from  the  Formula  Concordice,  (concern- 
ing which  see  n.  9,)  lest  any  one  should  think  that  these  things 
have  been  unjustly  laid  to  their  charge:  That  the  works  of 
the  second  table  of  the  decalogue  are  civil  duties,  and  belong 
to  external  worship,  which  man  is  able  to  do  of  himself;  and 
that  it  is  a  folly  to  dream  that  such  works  can  justify,  page  84, 

5 


50  A    BRIEF    EXPOSITION    OF    THE 

85,  102 :  that  good  works  are  to  be  utterly  excluded  from  the 
business  of  justification  by  faith,  p.  589,  590,  591,  704  to  708  : 
that  good  works  do  not  in  any  wise  enter  into  justification,  p. 
589,  702.  App.  62,  173 :  that  good  works  do  not  preserve  sal- 
vation nor  faith,  p.  590,  705.  App.  p.  174 :  that  neither  does 
repentance  enter  into  justification  by  faith,  p.  165,  320.  App. 
p.  158 :  that  repentance  is  nothing  more  than  praying  to  God, 
acknowledging  the  truth  of  the  gospel,  giving  of  thanks,  being 
obedient  to  the  magistracy,  and  following  one's  calling,  p.  12, 
198.  App.  p.  158,  159,  172,  266:  that  renovation  of  life  has 
likewise  nothing  to  do  with  justification,  p.  585,  685,  688, 
689.  App.  p.  170 :  that  attention  to  obedience  for  the  time  to 
come,  in  like  manner,  neither  enters  into  faith,  nor  justifies,  p. 
90,  91,  690.  App.  p.  167:  that  the  regenerate  are  not  under 
the  law,  but  are  delivered  from  the  bondage  thereof,  and  are 
only  in  the  law,  and  under  grace,  p.  722,  and  elsewhere :  that 
the  sins  of  the  regenerate  are  covered  over  by  the  merit  of  Christ, 
p.  641,  686,  687,  719,  720:  besides  many  other  passages  to 
the  same  purport.  It  is  to  be  observed,  that  all  Protestants, 
as  well  those  who  call  themselves  Gospellers,  as  those  who  call 
themselves  the  Reformed,  teach  in  like  manner  justification 
by  faith  alone,  see  above,  n.  17,  18. 

81.  It  is  a  wonderful  circumstance,  that  the  doctrine  of 
justification  of  faith  alone  prevails  at  this  day  over  every  other 
doctrine  throughout  all  reformed  Christendom,  and  is  esteem- 
ed almost  as  the  only  important  point  of  theology  in  the  sacred 
order  :  this  is  what  all  young  students  among  the  clergy  greed- 
ily learn  and  imbibe  at  the  universities,  and  what  they  after- 
wards teach  in  the  churches,  and  publish  in  print,  as  if  they  were 
inspired  with  heavenly  wisdom,  and  whereby  they  endeavour 
to  acquire  to  themselves  a  name,  and  the  reputation  of  superior 
learning,  as  well  as  diplomas,  licenses,  and  other  honorary 
rewards :  and  these  things  are  done,  notwithstanding  it  is  owing 
to  this  doctrine  alone,  that  the  sun  is  at  this  day  darkened,  the 
moon  deprived  of  her  light,  and  the  stars  are  fallen  from  heaven, 
that  is,  have  perished.  It  has  been  certified  unto  me,  that 
the  doctrine  of  faith  in  imputed  righteousness  has  blinded  the 
minds  of  men  at  this  day  to  such  a  degree,  that  they  will  not, 
and  therefore  as  it  were  cannot,  see  any  divine  truth  by  the 
light  of  the  sun,  nor  by  the  light  of  the  moon,  but  only  by  the 
light  of  a  fire  by  night ;  on  which  account  I  will  venture  to 
assert,  that  supposing  divine  truths  concerning  the  conjunc- 
tion of  charity  and  faith,  concerning  heaven,  the  Lord,  and 
eternal  happiness,  to  be  sent  down  from  heaven  engraved  in 


DOCTRINE    OP    THE    NEW    CHURCH.  51 

silver  characters,  they  would  not  be  thought  worthy  to  be  read 
by  the  sticklers  for  justification ;  but  the  case  would  be  quite 
otherwise  supposing  a  paper  concerning  justification  by  faith 
alone  to  be  brought  them  from  hell.  It  is  also  said  in  the 
Formula  Concordia;,  that  the  article  of  justification  by  faith 
alone,  or  the  righteousness  of  faith,  is  the  chief  article  in  the 
whole  Christian  doctrine ;  and  that  the  works  of  the  law  are 
utterly  to  be  excluded  from  this  article,  p.  17,  61,  62,  72,  89, 
683.  App.  p.  164.  ^^m^i^ 

xix.  fi,  *      ,~^ 

82.  That  they  who  are  in  the  present  justifying  Fajfh,lt& 
meant  by  the  hc-goats  in  Daniel  and  in  Matthew,        *&J  f  Ui  ff  / 

BRIEF    ANALYSIS.  ,  [fOTtM 

83.  It  is  written  in  Daniel,  "  I  saw  in  a  vision  a  ram,  tchich 
had  two  ho7~ns  that  were  high,  but  the  higher  came  up  last ;  and 
that  the  horn  pushed  westward,  and  northward,  and  southward, 
and  made  itself  great.  Then  I  saw  a  he-goat  coming  from  the 
west,  over  the  face  of  the  whole  earth,  which  had  a  horn  between 
its  ryes ;  and  that  he  ran  to  the  ram  in  the  fury  of  his  strength, 
and  broke  his  two  horns,  and  cast  him  down  to  the  earth,  and 
stamped  upon  him :  but  that  the  great  horn  of  the  he-goat  was 
broken,  and  instead  of  it  there  came  up  four  horns :  and  out 
of  one  of  them  came  forth  a  little  horn  which  waxed  exceeding 
great  towards  the  south,  towards  the  east,  and  towards  the 
comeliness,  and  even  to  the  host  of  heaven ;  and  it  cast  down  of 
the  host  and  of  the  stars  to  the  earth,  and  stamped  upon  them: 
yea,  he  magnified  himself  to  the  Prince  of  the  host,  and  took  from 
him  the  daily  sacrifice,  and  cast  away  the  place  of  his  sanctuary, 
for  he  cast  down  truth  to  the  earth.  And  I  heard  one  saint 
saying,  how  long  shall  this  vision  be,  the  daily  sacrifice,  and 
the  toasting  transgression,  that  both  the  holy  thing  and  the  host 
should  be  given  to  be  trodden  under  foot  ?  And  he  said,  even 
to  the  evening  the  morning,  then  shall  the  holy  thing  be  justified" 
chap.  viii.  2  to  14.  That  this  vision  is  a  prediction  of  the 
future  states  of  the  church,  is  very  evident,  for  it  declares, 
that  the  daily  sacrifice  was  taken  away  from  the  Prince  of  the 
host,  the  habitation  of  his  sanctuary  cast  down,  and  that  the  he- 
goat  cast  down  truth  to  the  earth :  moreover,  that  a  saint  said, 
how  long  shall  this  vision  be,  that  both  the  holy  thing  and  the 
host  should  be  given  to  be  trodden  under  foot ;  and  that  this 
should  be  even  to  the  evening  the  morning,  when  the  holy  thing 


52  A    BRIEF    EXPOSITION    Of    THE 

shall  be  justified  :  by  the  evening  the  morning  is  meant  the 
end  of  the  old  church,  when  a  New  Church  commences. 

84.  In  Matthew  we  read  these  words  :  "  Then  shall  the 
Son  of  Man  say  to  the  he-goats  on  his  left  hand,  depart  from 
Me,  for  I  was  hungry,  and  ye  gave  Me  no  meat ;  I  was  thirsty, 
and  ye  gave  Me  no  drink ;  I  was  a  stranger,  and  ye  took  Me 
not  in ;  I  was  naked,  and  ye  clothed  Me  not ;  I  was  sick  and 
in  prison,  and  ye  visited  Me  not ;  and  these  shall  go  away  into 
eternal  punishment"  That  the  same  persons  are  here  meant 
by  he-goats  and  sheep,  as  by  the  he-goat  and  ram  in  Daniel, 
is  very  evident :  that  by  he-goats  are  meant  those  who  are  in 
the  present  justifying  faith,  appears  from  this  circumstance, 
that  unto  the  sheep  are  enumerated  works  of  charity,  and  it  is 
said  that  they  did  them ;  and  that  unto  the  he-goats  the  same 
works  of  charity  are  enumerated,  but  it  is  said  that  they  did 
them  not,  and  that  they  are  therefore  sentenced  to  condem- 
nation :  for  they  who  are  in  the  present  justifying  faith,  neglect 
works,  because  they  deny  them  to  have  any  thing  of  salvation 
or  of  the  church  in  them.  "When  charity  is  thus  removed, 
good  works,  which  appertain  to  charity,  become  so  totally  for- 
gotten and  obliterated,  that  they  are  never  more  remembered, 
nor  is  the  least  effort  made  to  recall  them  to  mind  when  the 
law  of  the  decalogue  is  read.  It  is  a  general  rule  in  religion, 
that  in  proportion  as  any  one  does  not  will  good,  and  hence 
does  not  do  it,  in  the  same  proportion  he  wills  evils,  and 
hence  does  them;  and  on  the  contrary,  that  in  proportion  as 
any  one  does  not  will  evils,  and  hence  does  not  commit  them, 
in  the  same  proportion  he  wills  good,  and  hence  does  good ; 
these  latter  are  the  sheep,  but  the  former  are  the  he-goats. 
If  all  evil  persons  had  been  there  meant  by  the  he-goats,  in- 
stead of  the  works  of  charity  which  they  had  not  done,  the 
evils  which  they  had  done  would  have  been  enumerated. 

85.  That  no  other  than  the  persons  above  described  are 
meant  by  the  he-goats,  has  been  manifested  to  me  by  expe- 
rience in  the  spiritual  world ;  in  which  world  there  appear  all 
things  that  are  in  the  natural  world,  such  as  houses  and  pal- 
aces, paradises  and  gardens,  with  trees  of  every  kind ;  likewise 
fields  and  tillage  lands,  as  also  plains  and  green  pastures,  to- 
gether with  flocks  and  herds ;  and  all  resembling  those  upon 
our  earth ;  nor  is  there  any  other  difference,  than  that  in  the 
natural  world  they  are  from  a  natural  origin,  but  in  the  spirit- 
ual world  from  a  spiritual  origin.  There  I  have  often  seen 
sheep  and  he-goats,  also  combats  between  them,  like  that  de- 
scribed in  Daniel,  chap.  viii.     I  have  seen  he-goats  with  horns 


DOCTRINE  OF  THE  NEW  CHURCH.  53 

bent  forwards  and  backwards,  and  rushing  with  fury  upon  the 
sheep ;  I  have  seen  some  he-goats  with  two,  and  others  with 
four  horns,  with  whicli  they  vehemently  struck  at  the  sheep; 
and  when  I  looked  to  discover  what  this  meant,  I  saw  some 
persons  disputing  together  about  faith  conjoined  with  charity, 
and  faith  separated  from  charity;  from  whence  it  plainly  ap- 
peared, that  the  present  justifying  faith,  which,  considered  in 
itself,  is  a  faitli  disjoined  from  charity,  is  the  he-goat,  and  that 
faith  conjoined  with  charity  is  the  sheep. 

86.  The  like  persons  are  meant  by  he-goats  in  Zechariah : 
"Mine  anger  was  kindled  against  the  shepherds,  and  I  will 
visit  the- hergoats"  x.  3:  and  in  Ezekiel :  ll  Behold  I  judge 
between  cattle  and  cattle,  between  the  rams  and  the  he-goats  ; 
Seemeth  it  a  small  thing  unto  you,  to  have  eaten  up  the  good 
pasture,  but  ye  must  tread  down  with  your  feet  also  the  residue 
of  the  pastures  ?  Ye  thrust  all  the  infirm  sheep  with  your  horns, 
until  ye  have  dispersed  them ;  therefore  will  I  save  My  flock, 
that  it  be  no  more  a  prcy,,}  xxxiv.  17,  18,  22,  and  following 
verses. 

XX. 

87.  That  they  who  have  confirmed  themselves  in  the  present 
justifying  Faith,  are  meant  in  the  Apocalypse  by  the  Dragon, 

and  his  two  Beasts,  and  by  the  Locusts;  and  that  this  same 
Faith,  when  confirmed,  is  there  ?neatit  by  the  great  City  which 
is  spiritually  called  Sodom  and  Egypt,  where  the  two  Witnesses 
were  slain,  as  also  by  the  Fit  of  the  Abyss,  whence  the  Locusts 
came  forth. 

BRIEF    ANALYSIS. 

88.  That  seven  chapters  of  the  Apocalypse  treat  of  the  per- 
verted state  of  the  church  among  the  Reformed,  and  two  chap- 
ters of  the  perverted  state  of  the  church  among  the  Roman 
Catholics,  and  that  the  states  of  both  churches,  as  existing  at 
the  present  day,  are  sentenced  to  damnation,*  has  been  shown 
in  the  explication  thereof,  in  a  work  entitled,  The  Apocalypse 
Revealed,  and  that  not  by  uncertain  conjectures,  but  by  full 
proofs.  That  by  the  dragon,  treated  of  in  the  12th  chapter, 
are  meant  those  in  the  Reformed  churches,  who  make  God 
three,  and  the  Lord  two,  and  who  separate  charity  from  faith, 

*  It  is  not  to  be  supposed  from  hence,  that  all  the  individual  members  of  those 
churches  have  incurred  this  dreadful  sentence  ;  the  constant  testimony  of  our 
author  is,  that  all  with  whom  fidses  of  doctrine  arc  not  confirmed  by  evil  of  life, 
are  eventually  saved. 

5* 


54  A    BRIEF    EXPOSITION    OF    THE 

by  making  their  faith  spiritual  and  saving,  and  not  charity, 
see  n.  532  to  565,  and  the  Memorable  Relation  adjoined,  n. 
566.  That  they  are  further  described  by  the  two  beasts,  one 
rising  out  of  the  sea,  and  the  other  out  of  the  earth,  as  related 
in  chap.  xiii.  see  n.  567  to  610,  and  the  Memorable  Relation, 
n.  611.  That  they  are  also  described  by  the  locusts,  which 
came  forth  out  of  the  pit  of  the  abyss,  as  mentioned  in  chap, 
ix.  see  n.  419  to  442.  That  this  same  faith,  when  confirmed, 
is  meant  by  the  great  city,  which  is  spiritually  called  Sodom 
and  Egypt,  where  the  two  faithful  witnesses  were  slain,  as  re- 
lated in  chap.  xi.  see  n.  485  to  530,  particularly  n.  500  to  503, 
and  the  Memorable  Relation,  n.  531.  That  they  are  also 
meant  by  the  pit  of  the  abyss,  out  of  which  issued  smoke  as 
out  of  a  great  furnace,  and  the  sun  and  the  air  were  darkened, 
and  then  locusts  came  forth,  as  described  in  chap.  ix.  see  n. 
421  to  424. 

89.  That  I  might  be  assured  and  fully  convinced,  that  by 
the  pit  of  the  abyss  nothing  else  is  meant  than  the  faith  of  the 
dragon,  which  is  a  faith  conceived  from  an  idea  of  three  Gods, 
and  from  having  no  idea  of  the  Divinity  of  the  Human  Nature 
of  Christ,  and  which  is  called  faith  alone  justifying,  regenera- 
ting, quickening,  sanctifying  and  saving ;  it  was  given  me  to 
look  into  that  abyss,  to  converse  with  those  who  are  therein, 
and  likewise  to  see  the  locusts  which  came  out  thence ;  from 
which  ocular  demonstration,  that  pit,  together  with  the  abyss, 
is  described  by  me  in  the  Apocalypse  Revealed;  and  because 
a  description  from  ocular  demonstration  may  be  relied  on,  it 
shall  be  transcribed  from  that  work,  where  it  is  described  as 
follows. 

"  That  pit,  which  is  like  the  mouth  of  a  furnace,  appears 
in  the  southern  quarter ;  and  the  abyss  beneath  it  is  of  great 
extent  towards  the  east ;  they  have  light  even  there,  but  if 
light  from  heaven  be  let  in,  there  is  immediate  darkness; 
wherefore  the  pit  is  closed  up  at  the  top.  There  appear  in 
the  abyss  huts  constructed  of  brick,  which  are  divided  into 
distinct  cells,  in  each  of  which  is  a  table,  whereon  lie  papers, 
with  some  books :  every  one  there  sits  at  his  own  table,  who 
in  this  world  had  confirmed  justification  and  salvation  by  faith 
alone,  making  charity  a  merely  natural  and  moral  act,  and  the 
works  thereof  only  works  of  civil  life,  whereby  men  may  reap 
advantage  in  the  world,  but  if  done  for  the  sake  of  salvation, 
they  condemn  them,  and  some  even  rigorously,  because  human 
reason  and  will  is  in  them.  All  who  are  in  this  abyss  have 
been  scholars  and  learned  men  in  the  world ;  and  among  them 


DOCTRINE  OF  THE  NEW  CHURCH.  55 

are  some  metaphysicians  and  scholastic  divines,  who  are  there 
esteemed  above  the  rest.  But  their  lot  is  as  follows :  when 
first  they  come  thither,  they  take  their  seats  in  the  first  cells, 
but  as  they  confirm  faith  by  excluding  the  works  of  charity, 
they  leave  the  first  seats,  and  enter  into  cells  nearer  the  east, 
and  thus  successively  till  they  come  towards  the  end,  where 
they  are  who  confirm  those  tenets  from  tb2  Word  ;  and  because 
they  then  cannot  but  falsify  the  Word,  their  huts  vanish,  and 
they  find  themselves  in  a  desert.  There  is  also  an  abyss  be- 
neath that  abyss,  where  those  are  who  in  like  manner  have 
confirmed  justification  and  salvation  by  faith  alone,  but  who 
in  their  spirit  have  denied  the  existence  of  a  Gou,  and  in  their 
heart  have  made  a  jest  of  the  holy  things  of  the  church  ;  there 
they  do  nothing  but  quarrel,  tear  their  garments,  get  upon  the 
tables,  stamp  with  their  feet,  and  assail  each  other  with  re- 
proaches ;  and  because  it  is  not  permitted  them  to  hurt  any 
one,  they  use  threatening  words,  and  shake  their  fists  at  each 
other." 

90.  That  I  might  also  be  assured  and  convinced,  that  they 
who  have  confirmed  themselves  in  the  present  justifying  faith, 
are  meant  by  the  dragon,  it  was  given  me  to  see  many  thou- 
sands of  them  assembled  together,  and  they  then  appeared  at  a 
distance  like  a  dragon  with  a  long  tail,  which  seemed  full  of 
spikes  like  thorns,  which  signified  falsities.  Once  also  there 
appeared  a  still  greater  dragon,  which,  raising  up  his  back, 
lifted  up  his  tail  towards  heaven,  and  endeavoured  to  draw  down 
the  stars  from  thence :  stars  there  signify  truths. 

XXI. 

91.  That  unless  a  New  Church  be  established  by  the  Lord, 
no  one  can  be  saved;  and  that  this  is  meant  by  these  words, 
"  Unless  those  Days  should  be  shortened,  there  should  no  Flesh 
be  saved"  Matt.  xxiv.  22. 

BRIEF    ANALYSIS. 

92.  By  shortening  those  days,  is  meant  the  putting  an  end 
to  the  present  church,  and  establishing  a  new  one ;  for,  as  has 
been  already  observed,  the  24th  chapter  of  Matthew  treats  of 
the  successive  declensions  and  perversions  of  the  Christian 
church,  even  to  the  consummation  and  end  thereof,  and  of 
the  coming  of  the  Lord  at  that  period.  The  reason  why  no 
flesh  could  be  saved,  unless  those  days  should  be  shortened, 
is,  because  the  faith  of  the  present  church  is  founded  on  the 


56  A    BRIEF    EXPOSITION    OF    THE 

idea  of  three  Gods,  and  with  this  idea  no  one  can  enter  heaven ; 
consequently  no  one  can  enter  heaven  with  the  faith  of  the 
present  church,  because  the  idea  of  three  Gods  is  in  all  and 
every  part  thereof;  and  besides,  in  that  faith  there  exists  no 
life  from  the  works  of  charity  :  that  the  faith  of  the  present 
church  cannot  be  conjoined  with  charity,  and  produce  any 
fruits  which  are  good  works,  was  shown  above,  n.  47  to  50. 
There  are  two  things  which  form  heaven  in  man,  viz.  the  truths 
of  faith  and  the  goods  of  charity  ;  the  truths  of  faith  occasion 
the  presence  of  the  Lord,  and  point  out  the  way  to  heaven,  and 
the  goods  of  charity  effect  conjunction  with  the  Lord,  and 
introduce  into  heaven;  and  everyone  is  there  introduced  into 
light  according  to  his  affection  of  truth,  and  into  heat  accord- 
ing to  his  affection  of  good :  that  the  affection  of  truth  is  faith 
in  its  essence,  and  the  affection  of  good  charity  in  its  essence, 
and  that  the  marriage  of  them  both  constitutes  the  church, 
may  be  seen  above,  n.  48 ;  the  church  and  heaven  make  one. 
That  these  three  are  not  in  the  churches  of  the  present  day, 
which  are  built  upon  faitli  alone,  has  been  fully  shown  in  the 
preceding  pages. 

93.  I  have  sometimes,  in  the  spiritual  world,  conversed  with 
the  maintainers  of  justification  by  faith  alone,  and  have  told 
them  that  their  doctrine  is  erroneous,  and  likewise  absurd, 
that  it  brings  on  security,  blindness,  sleep,  and  night,  in  spirit- 
ual things,  and  thereby  death  to  the  soul,  thus  exhorting  them 
to  desist  from  it.  But  I  have  received  for  answer,  Why  should 
we  desist?  Does  not  the  pre-eminence  of  the  clergy  above  the 
laity,  in  point  of  erudition,  depend  upon  this  doctrine?  To 
which  I  replied,  that  it  should  seem  from  hence,  that  they  re- 
garded not  so  much  the  salvation  of  souls,  as  their  own  pre- 
eminence ;  and  that  because  they  had  applied  the  truths  of 
the  Word  to  confirm,  their  own  false  principles,  and  thereby 
had  adulterated  them,  they  were  become  angels  of  the  abyss, 
called  Abaddons  and  Apollyons,  Apoc.  ix.  11  ;  by  whom  are 
signified  the  destroyers  of  the  church  by  a  total  falsification  of 
the  Word  :  see  the  explication  thereof,  n.  440,  and  the  Memor- 
able Relation,  n,  566,  in  the  Apocalypse  Revealed.  But  they 
answered,  How  can  this  be  ?  Are  we  not,  by  our  knowledge  of 
the  mysteries  of  that  doctrine,  oracles?  And  do  we  not  from 
that  doctrine  give  answers  as  from  our  sanctuary  ?  wherefore 
we  are  not  Apollyons,  but  Apollos.  On  hearing  this,  I  replied 
with  indignation,  If  ye  are  Apollos,  ye  are  also  Leviathans, 
the  first  class  of  you  are  crooked  Leviathans,  and  the  second 
class  of  you  are  oblong  Leviathans,  whom  God  will  visit  with  his 


DOCTRINE  OF  THE  NEW  CHURCH.  57 

sharp  and  great  sword,  Isaiah  xxvii.  1 :  but  they  laughed  at 
these  words.  What  is  meant  by  being  visited  and  perishing 
by  the  sword,  may  be  seen  in  the  Apocalypse  Revealed,  n.  52. 

94.  The  great  arcanum,  why,  unless  a  New  Church  be  es- 
tablished by  the  Lord,  no  flesh  can  be  saved,  is  this;  that  as 
long  as  the  dragon  with  his  crew  remains  in  the  world  of  spirits, 
into  which  he  was  cast  from  heaven,  so  long  no  divine  truth, 
united  with  divine  good,  can  pass  from  the  Lord  to  men  on 
earth,  but  it  is  either  annihilated  or  perverted,  so  that  salvation 
is  thereby  rendered  impossible  to  be  attained  :  this  is  what  is 
meant  in  the  Apocalypse  by  the  following  passage :  "  And  the 
dragon  was  cast  out  into  the  earth,  and  his  angels  were  cast 
out  with  him:  woe  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  and  the  sea, 
for  the  devil  is  come  down  unto  them,  having  great  wrath  ;  and 
he  persecuted  the  woman,  who  brought  forth  a  Son,"  chap.  xii. 

9,  12,  13 :  but  after  the  dragon  was  cast  into  hell,  chap.  xx. 

10,  then  it  was  that  John  saw  the  New  Heaven  and  the  New 
Earth,  and  saw  the  New  Holy  Jerusalem  coming  down  from 
God  out  of  heaven,  Apoc.  xxi.  1,  2,  &c.  What  is  meant  by 
the  dragon,  and  who  the  dragons  are,  may  be  seen  above, 
n.  47. 

XXII. 

95.  That  the  Opening  and  Rejection  of  the  Tenets  of  the 
Faith  of  the  present  Church,  and  the  Revelation  and  Recep- 
tion of  the  Tenets  of  the  Faith  of  the  New  Church,  is  meant 
by  these  words  in  the  Apocalypse :  "  He  that  sat  upon  the 
throne  said,  Behold  I  will  make  all  things  New ;  and  He 
said  unto  me,  Write,  for  these  Words  are  true  and  faithful" 
chap.  xxi.  5. 

BRIEF  ANALYSIS. 

96.  He  that  sat  upon  the  throne,  that  is,  the  Lord,  said 
these  things  unto  John,  when  he  saw  the  New  Jerusalem 
coming  down  from  God  out  of  heaven :  that  by  the  New 
Jerusalem  is  meant  a  New  Church,  will  be  shown  in  the  fol- 
lowing chapter.  The  reason  why  the  falsities  of  the  tenets 
of  the  faith  of  the  present  church  must  first  be  opened  and 
rejected,  before  the  truths  of  the  tenets  of  the  New  Church 
can  be  revealed  and  received,  is,  because  they  do  not  agree 
together,  no,  not  in  one  single  point  or  particular ;  for  the  ten- 
ets of  the  present  church  are  founded  upon  a  faith,  in  which, 
whether  there  be  any  essential  of  the  church,  or  not,  is  un- 
known :  now  the  essentials  of  the  church,  which  conjoin  them- 


58 


A    BRIEF    EXPOSITION    OF    THE 


selves  with  a  faith  directed  to  one  God,  are  charity,  good  works, 
repentance,  and  a  life  according  to  the  divine  laws;  and  for- 
asmuch as  these  together  with  faith  affect  and  move  the  human 
will  and  thought,  they  conjoin  man  to  the  Lord,  and  the  Lord 
to  man  :  since  therefore  none  of  these  essentials  enter  into  the 
faith  of  the  present  church  at  the  time  it  takes  place,  which  is 
called  the  act  of  justification,  it  cannot  possibly  be  known 
whether  this  faith  be  in  man,  or  not,  consequently  whether 
it  be  any  thing,  or  only  an  idea  of  something ;  for  they  say, 
that  man  in  the  act  of  justification  is  like  a  stock  or  a  stone, 
and  that  he  can  neither  will,  think,  co-operate,  no,  nor  even 
apply  or  accommodate  himself  to  the  reception  thereof  in  the 
smallest  degree,  see  above,  n.  15,  (r)  (d)  :  since  therefore  the 
case  is  such,  that  no  one  can  guess,  much  less  know,  whether 
that  faith  be  in  him,  and  thus  whether  it  be  in  him  like  a 
painted  flower,  or  like  a  flower  growing  in  a  field  ;  or  whether 
it  be  like  a  bird  flying  by  him,  or  like  a  bird  that  hath  built  her 
nest  in  him  ;  I  ask  by  what  tokens  or  signs  is  this  to  be  known? 
If  it  be  answered,  that  it  is  to  be  known  by  charity,  good  works, 
repentance,  and  exercises  of  the  law,  which  follow  after  this 
faith,  and  yet  have  no  connection  with  it;  I  leave  it  to  men 
of  sense  to  determine,  whether  things,  that  have  no  connec- 
tion with  faith,  can  possibly  be  proper  signs  and  evidences 
thereof;  for  this  faith  of  theirs,  they  say,  is  neither  preserv- 
ed nor  retained  by  the  above-mentioned  works  of  charity, 
see  above,  n.  12,  ("')  (").  From  what  has  been  said  we  may 
draw  the  following  conclusion,  viz.  that  in  the  faith  of  the 
present  day  there  exists  nothing  of  the  church,  and  conse- 
quently that  it  is  not  any  thing,  but  only  an  idea  of  some- 
thing :  since  then  this  faith  is  of  such  a  nature,  it  is  deserv- 
edly to  be  rejected,  yea,  it  rejects  itself,  as  a  thing  that  bears 
no  relation  to  a  church. 

97.  But  widely  different  is  the  case  with  the  tenets  or  doc- 
trinals  of  the  New  Church ;  these  are  -all  essentials,  in  each 
whereof  there  is  heaven  and  the  church ;  and  they  regard  this 
as  their  end,  viz.  that  man  may  be  in  the  Lord,  and  the  Lord 
in  man,  according  to  His  own  words  in  John,  chap.  xiv.  20  ; 
and  chap.  xv.  4,  5,  6 :  it  is  this  conjunction  alone  which  con- 
stitutes the  Chiistian  Church.  From  these  few  observations 
it  may  clearly  appear,  what  is  meant  by  these  words  of  the 
Lord  :  "He  that  sat  upon  the  throne  sale/,  Behold  I  will  make 
all  things  New;  and  He  said,  Write,  for  these  Words  are  true 
and  faithful" 

98.  The  sole  reason  why  the  Christian  world  has  fallen 


DOCTRINE    OF    THE    NEW    CHURCH.  59 

into  a  faith,  which  has  put  away  from  itself  all  the  truths  and 
goods  of  heaven  and  the  church,  even  to  the  separation  there- 
of, is,  because  they  have  divided  God  into  three  persons,  and 
have  not  believed  the  Lord  God  the  Saviour  to  be  one  with 
God  the  Father,  and  thus  have  not  approached  Him  immedi- 
ately;  when  nevertheless  He  alone  as  to  His  Humanity  is 
essential  Divine  Truth,  "which  is  the  Word,  which  was  God 
loith  God,  and  is  the  true  Light  which  enlighteneth  every  man ; 
and  became  flesh,"  John  i.  I,  2,  9,  14.  That  He  is  essential 
truth,  and  thus  essential  light,  is  also  testified  in  other  places  ; 
for  He  saith,  "I  am  the  Light  of  the  world"  John  viii.  22. 
chap.  ix.  5  :  and  in  another  place  :  "  While  ye  have  the  Light, 
believe  in  the  Light,  that  ye  may  be  the  children  of  Light:  I 
am  come  a  Light  into  the  world,  that  ichosocver  believeth 
in  Me,  may  not  abide  in  darkness,"  John  xii.  30,  46 :  in  the 
Apocalypse  :  "  J  am  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  Beginning  and  the 
End,  the  First  and  the  Last,  the  Bright  and  Morning  Star," 
chap.  xxii.  13,  10:  and  in  Matthew:  "  When  Jesus  was  trans- 
formed, His  face  shone  as  the  sun,  and  His  raiment  became  as 
the  light,"  chap.  xvii.  12.  Hence  it  appears  why  and  whence 
this  imaginary  faith  came  into  the  world,  namely,  because 
they  have  not  approached  the  Lord ;  and  I  can,  from  all  my 
experience,  as  well  as  from  positive  assurance  from  heaven, 
with  the  utmost  certainty  declare,  that  it  is  impossible  to  de- 
rive a  single  genuine  theological  truth  from  any  other  source 
than  from  the  Lord  alone  ;  nay,  that  to  derive  it  from  any  other 
source  is  as  impossible,  as  it  is  to  sail  from  England  or  Hol- 
land to  the  Pleiades,  or  to  ride  on  horseback  from  Germany  to 
Orion  in  the  sky. 

XXIII. 

99.  That  the  New  Church  about  to  be  established  by  the 
Lord,  is  the  New  Jerusalem,  treated  of  in  the  Apocalypse, 
chap.  xxi.  and  xxii.  which  is  there  called  the  Bride  and  the 
Wife  of  the  Lamb. 

BRIEF  ANALYSIS. 

100.  The  reason  why  the  New  Church  is  meant  by  the- 
New  Jerusalem  coming  down  from  God  out  of  heaven,  Apoc. 
xxi.  is,  because  Jerusalem  was  the  metropolis  of  the  land  of 
Canaan,  and  therein  was  the  temple  and  the  altar,  and  there 
also  the  sacrifices  were  offered,  consequently  divine  worship 
was  there  performed,  which  every  male  throughout  the  land 
was  required  to  attend  three  times  a  year.     A  further  reason 


60  A  BRIEF  EXPOSITION  OF  THE 

is,  because  the  Lord  was  in  Jerusalem,  and  taught  in  its  temple, 
and  afterwards  glorified  His  Humanity  there ;  hence  it  is,  that 
by  Jerusalem  is  signified  the  church.  That  by  Jerusalem  is' 
meant  the  church,  is  very  clear  from  the  prophecies  in  the 
Old  Testament  concerning  a  New  Church  to  be  established 
by  the  Lord,  wherein  it  is  called  Jerusalem.  I  shall  only  ad- 
duce the  following  passages,  from  which  any  one  of  interior 
reason  may  see,  that  by  Jerusalem  is  meant  the  church. 
"Behold  I  create  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth,  and  the  for- 
mer shall  not  be  remembered ;  behold  I  will  create  Jerusalem  an 
exultation,  and  her  people  a  gladness,  that  I  may  exult  over 
Jerusalem,  and  be  glad  over  My  people.  Then  the  wolf  and 
the  lamb  shall  feed  together :  they  shall  not  do  evil  in  all  the 
mountain  of  My  holiness,"  Isaiah  lxv.  17,  18,  19,  25.  "  For 
Zion's  sake  I  zoill  not  be  silent,  and  for  Jerusalem's  sake  I 
will  not  rest,  until  her  righteousness  goeth  forth  as  splendour, 
and  her  salvation  as  a  lamp  that  burncth.  Then  the  Gentiles 
shall  see  thy  righteousness,  and  all  kings  thy  glory;  and  thou 
shalt  be  called  by  a  new  name,  which  the  mouth  of  Jehovah 
shall  utter;  and  thou  shalt  be  a  crown  of  beauty,  and  a  diadem  of 
a  kingdom,  in  the  hand  of  thy  God:  Jehovah  shall  be  well  pleased 
in  thee,  and  thy  land  shall  be  married.  Behold  thy  salvation 
shall  come,  behold  His  reward  is  with  Him :  and  they  shall 
call  them,  the  people  of  holiness,  the  redeemed  of  Jehovah  ;  and 
thou  shalt  be  called,  a  city  sought  out,  not  deserted,"  Isaiah 
lxii.  1  to  4,  11,  12.  "Awake,  awake,  put  on  thy  strength,  O 
Zion,  put  on  the  garments  of  thy  beauty,  O  Jerusalem,  the  city 
of  holiness  ;  for  henceforth  there  shall  no  more  come  into  thee 
the  uncircumcised  and  the  unclean ;  shake  thyself  from  the  dust, 
arise,  sit  down,  O  Jerusalem.  The  people  shall  know  My  name 
in  that  day ;  for  I  am  He  that  doth  speak,  behold  it  is  I:  Je- 
hovah hath  comforted  His  people,  He  hath  redeemed  Jerusa- 
lem," Isaiah  lii,  1,  2,  6,  9.  "  Shout  with  joy,  O  daughter  of 
Zion,  be  glad  with  all  thy  heart,  O  daughter  of  Jerusalem ; 
the  king  of  Israel  is  in  the  midst  of  thee ;  fear  not  evil  any 
more ;  he  will  be  glad  over  thee  with  joy,  he  will  rest  in  thy  love, 
he  will  rejoice  over  thee  ivith  shouting ;  I  will  make  you  a  name 
and  a  praise  among  all  the  people  of  the  earth,"  Zeph.  iii.  14 
to  17,  20.  "  Thus  saith  Jehovah  thy  Redeemer,  saying  to 
Jerusalem,  Thou  shalt  be  inhabited,"  Isaiah  xliv.  24,  26. 
"  Thus  saith  Jehovah,  I  will  return  to  Zion,  and  dwell  in 
the  midst  of  Jerusalem,  whence  Jerusalem  shall  be  called  the 
city  of  truth,  and  the  mountain  of  Jehovah  Zebaoth  the  moun- 
tain of  holiness,"  Zech.  viii.  3,  20,  to  23.     "  Then  shall  ye 


DOCTRINE  OF  THE  NEW  CHURCH.  61 

know,  that  I  am  Jehovah  your  God,  dwelling  in  Zion,  the 
mountain' of  holiness,  and  Jerusalem  shall  be  holiness ;  and  it 
shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day,  that  the  mountains  shall  drop 
down  with  new  wine,  and  the  hills  shall  flow  with  milk,  and 
Jerusalem  shall  sit  fast  from  generation  to  generation,"  Joel  iv. 
17  to  21.  "  In  that  day  shall  the  branch  of  Jehovah  be  beauty 
and  glory  ;  audit  shall  come  to  pass,  that  he  that  is  left  in  Zion, 
and  he  that  rcmaineth  in  Jerusalem,  shall  be  called  holy,  every 
one  that  is  written  for  life  in  Jerusalem,"  Isaiah  iv.  2,  3.  "  In 
the  last  days  the  mountain  of  the  house  of  Jehovah  shall  be  estab- 
lished as  the  head  of  the  mountains,  for  out  of  Zion  shall  go  forth 
doctrine,  and  the  word  of  Jehovah  from  Jerusalem,"  Micah  iv. 
1,  2,  8.  "  At  that  time  they  shall  call  Jerusalem  the  throne  of 
Jehovah,  and  all  nations  shall  be  gathered  to  Jerusalem  for  the 
name  of  Jehovah,  neither  shall  they  go  any  more  after  the  con- 
firmation of  their  own  evil  heart,"  Jer.  iii.  17.  "  Look  upon 
Zion,  the  city  of  our  stated  feasts,  let  thine  eyes  see  Jerusalem 
a  quiet  habitation,  a  tabernacle  that  shall  not  be  taken  down ; 
the  nails  thereof  shall  never  be  removed,  and  the  cords  thereof 
shall  not  be  broken,"  Isaiah  xxxiii.  20 ;  not  to  mention  other 
passages,  as  Isaiah  xxiv.  3.  chap  xxxvii.  32.  chap.  Ixvi.  10  to 
14.  Zech.  xii.  3,  6  to  10.  chap.  xiv.  8, 11,  12, 21.  Malachi 
iii.  2,  4.  Psalm  exxii.  1  to  7.  Psalm  exxx.  4,  5,  6.  That 
by  Jerusalem  in  the  above  passages  is  meant  a  church  to  be 
established  by  the  Lord,  and  not  the  Jerusalem  inhabited  by 
the  Jews,  is  plain  from  every  particular  of  its  description  there- 
in ;  as  that  Jehovah  God  was  about  to  create  a  new  heaven 
and  a  new  earth,  and  also  a  Jerusalem  at  the  same  time ;  and 
that  this  Jerusalem  would  be  a  crown  of  beauty,  and  a  diadem 
of  a  kingdom ;  that  it  is  to  be  called  holiness,  and  the  city  of 
truth,  the  throne  of  Jehovah,  a  quiet  habitation,  a  tabernacle 
that  slull  not  be  taken  down ;  that  the  wolf  and  the  lamb  shall 
fef  !  together  therein,  and  that  the  mountains  shall  drop  down 
with  new  wine,  and  the  hills  flow  with  milk,  and  that  it  should 
remain  from  generation  to  generation ;  besides  other  circum- 
stances, as  respecting  the  people  therein,  that  they  should  be 
holy,  all  written  for  life,  and  should  be  called  the  redeemed 
of  Jehovah.  Moreover  all  those  passages  treat  of  the  coming 
of  the  Lord,  and  particularly  of  His  second  coming,  when 
Jerusalem  shall  be  such  as  is  there  described ;  for  heretofore 
she  has  not  been  married,  that  is,  has  not  been  the  bride  and 
the  wife  of  the  Lamb,  as  the  New  Jerusalem  is  said  to  be  in 
the  Apocalypse.  The  former  or  present  church  is  meant  by 
Jerusalem  in  Daniel,  and  its  commencement  is  there  describ- 
6 


1X6  A  BRIEF  EXPOSITION  OF  THE 

ed  in  these  words :  "  Know  therefore  and  understand,  that 
from  the  going  forth  of  the  word,  unto  the  restoring  and  build- 
ing of  Jerusalem,  even  unto  Messiah  the  Prince,  shall  be  seven 
weeks ;  afterwards  in  sixty  and  two  weeks  it  shall  be  restored, 
and  the  street  and  the  ditch  shall  be  built,  but  in  distress  of 
times,"  chap.  ix.  25 :  but  its  end  is  described  by  these  words  : 
"  At  length  upon  the  bird  of  abominations  shall  be  desolation, 
and  even  to  the  consummation  and  decision  it  shall  drop  upon 
the  devastation,"  verse  27  :  this  last  passage  is  alluded  to  in 
the  following  words  of  the  Lord  in  Matthew  :  "  When  ye  shall 
see  the  abomination  of  desolation  foretold  by  Daniel  the  prophet, 
standing  in  the  holy  place,  let  him  that  reach  th  note  it  well," 
chap.  xxiv.  15.  That  by  Jerusalem,  in  the  places  above  ad- 
duced, is  not  meant  the  Jerusalem  inhabited  by  the  Jews, 
may  appear  from  those  places  in  the  Word,  where  it  is  said 
of  that  city,  that  it  was  entirely  destroyed,  and  that  it  was  to 
be  destroyed,  as  in  Jer.  v.  1.  chap.  vi.  7.  chap.  vii.  17,  18, 
6lc.  chap.  viii.  6,  7,  8,  &c.  chap.  ix.  10,  11,  13,  &c.  chap, 
xiii.  9,  10,  14.  chap.  xiv.  16.  Lament,  i.  8,  9,  17.  Ezech.  iv. 
1  to  the  end.  chap.  v.  9  to  the  end.  chap.  xii.  18,  19.  chap, 
xv.  6,  7,  8.  chap.  xvi.  1  to  63.  chap,  xxiii.  1  to  40.  Matt,  xxiii. 
37,  38.  Luke  xix.  41  to  44.  chap.  xxi.  20,21,  22.  chap,  xxiii. 
28,  29,  30 ;  besides  many  other  passages ;  and  also  where  it 
is  called  Sodom,  as  in  Isa.  iii.  9.  Jer.  xxiii.  14.  Ezech.  xvi. 
46,  48 ;  and  in  other  places. 

101.  That  the  church  is  the  Lord's,  and  that  by  virtue  of 
a  spiritual  marriage,  which  is  that  of  good  and  truth,  the 
Lord  is  called  the  Bridegroom  and  the  Husband,  and  the 
church  the  bride  and  the  wife,  is  known  among  Christians 
from  the  Word,  particularly  from  the  following  passages : 
John  said  of  the  Lord,  "  He  that  hath  the  bride  is  the  Pride- 
groom,  but  the  friend  of  the  Bridegroom  is  he  who  standcth  and 
heareth  Him,  and  rcjoiceth  because  of  the  Bridegroom^ s  voice," 
John  iii.  29 :  "Jesus  said,  while  the  Bridegroom  is  with  them, 
the  children  of  the  marriage  cannot  fast"  Matt.  ix.  15.  Mark 
ii.  19,  20.  Luke  v.  34,  35:  "  I  saw  the  holy  city  New  Jeru- 
salem coming  down  from  God  out  of  heaven,  prepared  as  a 
bride  adorned  for  her  husband,"  Apoc.  xxi.  2.  "  The  angel 
said  unto  John,  come  and  I  will  show  thee  the  bride,  the  Lamb's 
wife,  and  from  a  mountain  he  showed  him  the  holy  city  Jeru- 
salem," Apoc.  xxi.  9  :  "  The  time  of  the  marriage  of  the  Lamb 
is  come,  and  His  wife  hath  made  herself  ready  ;  blessed  are 
they  who  are  called  unto  the  marriage  supper  of  the  Lamb," 
Apoc.  xix.  7,9:/  am  the  Root  and  Offspring  of  David,  the 


DOCTRINE    OF    THE    NEW    CHURCH.  63 

Bright  and  Morning  Star :  the  spirit  and  the  bride  say,  Come; 
and  let  him  who  hearcth  say,  Come ;  and  him  that  is  athirst, 
Let  him  come  ;  and  whosoever  will,  let  him  take  the  water  of  life 
freely,"  Apoc.  xxii.  16,  17. 

XXIV. 

102.  That  the  Faith  of  the  New  Church  cannot  by  any 
means  be  together  with  the  Faith  of  the  former  Church,  and 
that  in  case  they  be  together,  such  a  collision  and  conflict  will 
ensue,  as  to  destroy  every  thing  relating  to  the  Church  in  man. 

BRIEF    ANALYSIS. 

103.  The  reason  why  the  faith  of  the  New  Church  cannot 
by  any  means  be  together  with  the  faith  of  the  former  or 
present  church,  is,  because  they  do  not  agree  together  in  one 
third,  no  nor  even  in  one  tenth  part.  The  faith  of  the  former 
church  is  described  in  the  Apocalypse,  chap.  xii.  by  the  dragon, 
but  the  faith  of  the  New  Church  by  the  woman  surrounded 
with  the  sun,  having  upon  her  head  a  crown  of  twelve  stars, 
whom  the  dragon  persecuted,  and  at  whom  he  cast  water  as  a 
flood,  that  he  might  swallow  her  up,  see  above,  n.  87  to  90 ; 
these  two  cannot  be  together  in  one  city,  much  less  in  one 
house,  consequently  they  cannot  be  together  in  one  mind;  or 
should  they  be  together,  the  unavoidable  consequence  must 
be,  that  the  woman  would  be  continually  exposed  to  the  rage 
and  insanity  of  the  dragon,  and  in  fear  lest  he  should  devour 
her  son ;  for  it  is  said  in  the  Apocalypse,  chap.  xii.  that  the 
dragon  stood  before  the  woman  who  was  ready  to  be  delivered, 
in  order  to  devour  her  child,  and  that  the  woman,  after  she 
had  brought  forth  the  man-child,  fled  into  the  desert,  verses 
1,  4,  6,  14  to  17.  The  faith  of  the  former  church  is  a  faith  of 
the  night,  for  human  reason  has  no  perception  of  it,  where- 
fore it  is  also  said,  that  the  understanding  must  be  kept  in 
obedience  thereunto :  nay,  it  is  not  even  known  whether  it  be 
within  man  or  without  him,  because  nothing  of  man's  will  and 
reason  enters  into  it,  no,  nor  charity,  good  works,  repentance, 
the  law  of  the  decalogue,  with  many  other  things  which  really 
exist  in  the  mind  of  man  ;  that  this  is  the  case,  may  be  seen 
above,  n.  79,  80,  96,  97,  98 :  but  the  faith  of  the  New  Church 
enters  into  a  conjugial  covenant  with  all  these,  and  conjoins 
itself  to  them ;  and  being  thus  in  the  heat  of  heaven,  it  is  also 
in  the  light  thereof,  and  is  a  faith  of  light :  now  a  faith  of  night 
and  a  faith  of  light  can  no  more  be  together,  than  an  owl  and 


64  A  BRIEF  EXPOSITION  OF  THE 

a  dove  in  one  nest ;  for  in  such  case  the  owl  would  lay  her 
eggs,  and  the  dove  hers,  and  after  sitting,  the  young  of  both 
would  be  hatched,  and  then  the  owl  would  tear  in  pieces  the 
young  of  the  dove,  and  would  give  them  to  her  own  young  for 
food ;  for  an  owl  is  a  bird  of  prey.  There  is  a  further  reason 
why  the  faith  of  the  former  church  and  the  faith  of  the  New 
Church  cannot  possibly  be  together,  and  that  is,  because  they 
are  heterogeneous  [or  diametrically  opposite  to  each  other  in 
their  nature  and  quality] ;  for  the  faith  of  the  former  church 
springs  from  an  idea  of  three  Gods,  see  n.  30  to  38,  but  the 
faith  of  the  New  Church  from  the  idea  of  one  God ;  and  as 
there  hence  arises  a  heterogeneity  or  repugnance  to  each  other, 
there  must  inevitably,  supposing  them  to  be  together,  be  such 
a  collision  and  conflict,  as  would  prove  fatal  to  every  thing 
relating  to  the  church ;  or,  in  other  words,  man  would  either 
fall  into  a  delirium,  or  into  a  state  of  insensibility  as  to  spirit- 
ual things,  until  at  length  he  would  scarcely  know  what  the 
church  is,  or  whether  there  be  any  church  at  all.  From  what 
has  been  said  it  follows,  that  they  who  have  confirmed  them- 
selves in  the  faith  of  the  old  church,  cannot,  without  endanger- 
ing their  spiritual  life,  embrace  the  faith  of  the  New  Church, 
until  they  first  have  narrowly  examined,  rejected,  and  thus 
extirpated  the  former  faith,  together  with  its  young  or  eggs, 
that  is  to  say,  its  tenets  ;  the  true  nature  or  quality  of  which 
has  been  already  shown  in  the  foregoing  pages,  particularly 
at  n.  64  to  69. 

104.  The  like  would  happen  if  a  person  should  embrace 
the  faith  of  the  New  Church,  and  retain  the  faith  of  the  old 
church  concerning  the  imputation  of  the  righteousness  or 
merit  of  the  Lord  ;  for  from  this,  as  from  their  root,  all  the 
tenets  of  the  former  church,  like  so  many  young  shoots,  have 
sprung  forth.  Supposing  this  to  be  the  case,  it  would  com- 
paratively be  like  a  person  extricating  himself  from  three  heads 
of  the  dragon,  and  becoming  entangled  in  his  four  remain- 
ing ones ;  or  like  a  person  flying  from  a  leopard,  and  meeting 
with  a  lion  ;  or  like  a  person  escaping  out  of  a  pit  where 
there  is  no  water,  and  falling  into  a  pit  full  of  water,  and 
being  drowned.  That  this  is  the  case,  will  be  seen  after  the 
exposition  of  the  following  lemma,  where  something  will  be 
advanced  concerning  imputation. 

XXV. 

105.  That  the  Roman  Catholics  at  this  day  know  nothing 
of  the  Imputation  of  the  Merit  of  Christ,  and  of  Justification 


DOCTRINE  OF  THE  NEW  CHURCH.  65 

by  Faith  therein,  into  which  their  Church  was  formerly  ini- 
tiated, because  it  is  entirely  concealed  under  their  external 
Forms  of  Worship,  which  are  numerous ;  for  which  reason, 
therefore,  if  they  recede  but  in  part  from  their  external  Forms 
of  Worship,  and  immediately  approach  God  the  Saviour  Jesus 
Christ,  and  administer  the  Holy  Eucharist  in  both  kinds, 
they  may  be  brought  into  the  New  Jerusalem,  or  the  Neto 
Church  of  the  Lord  more  easily  than  the  Reformed. 

BRIEF    ANALYSIS. 

106.  That  the  primates  and  rulers  of  the  Romish  Church, 
at  their  consecration  to  the  ministry,  swear  to  observe  the  de- 
crees of  the  council  of  Trent,  appears  from  the  bull  of  Pope 
Pius  IV.  where,  in  the  form  of  the  oath  of  their  profession 
of  faith,  dated  the  13th  of  November,  1564,  we  find  these 
words  :  "  I  firmly  believe  and  profess  all  and  every  thing  con- 
tained in  the  creed  used  by  the  holy  Church  of  Rome ;  and  I 
receive  without  any  doubt  all  such  things  as  are  maintained  and 
declared  in  her  holy  canons,  and  general  councils,  and  espe- 
cially by  the  most  holy  council  of  Trent ;  so  help  me  God." 
That  they  also  bind  themselves  by  an  oath  to  believe  and 
profess  what  the  council  of  Trent  has  established,  concern- 
ing the  imputation  of  the  merit  of  Christ,  and  justification 
by  faith  therein,  is  evident  from  these  words  in  the  same  bull  : 
"  /  embrace  and  receive  all  and  every  thing,  which  has  been 
determined  and  declared  in  the  most  holy  council  of  Trent, 
concerning  original  sin  and  fustifit'Ution ;"  what  these  are, 
may  be  seen  from  the  extracts  taken  from  that  council,  as 
above,  n.  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  8.  From  these  principles  established 
in  that  council,  the  following  consequences  have  been  drawn, 
namely,  "  That  the  Roman  Catholics,  previous  to  the  refor- 
mation, held  precisely  the  same  doctrines  as  the  Reformed 
have  done  subsequent  thereto,  with  respect  to  the  imputation 
of  the  merit  of  Christ,  and  justification  by  faith  therein,  only 
with  this  difference,  that  they  conjoined  the  same  faith  with 
charity  and  good  works,"  see  above,  n  19,  20:  also,  "That 
the  leading  Reformers,  Luther,  Me'lancthon,  and  Calvin,  re- 
tained all  the  tenets  concerning  imputation  of  the  merit  of 
Christ,  and  justification  by  faith,  just  as  they  then  were  and 
had  been  held  by  the  Roman  Catholics ;  but  that  they  separa- 
ted charity  and  good  works  from  that  faith,  and  declared  them 
to  have  no  saving  efficacy,  to  the  intent  that  they  might  be 
severed  from  the  Roman  Catholics,  as  to  the  very  essentials 
6* 


66  A  BRIEF  EXPOflTION  OF  THE 

of  the  church,  vhich  are  faith  and  charity,"  see  above  n.  21, 
22,  23  :  moreover,  "  That,  nevertheless,  the  aforesaid  leading 
Reformers  adjoined  good  works,  and  even  conjoined  them, 
to  their  faith,  but  at  the  same  time  considered  man  as  a  passive 
subject ;  whereas  the  Roman  Catholics  regarded  him  as  an 
active  subject ;  and  that  after  all  there  actually  is  a  conform- 
ity of  sentiment  between  both  the  one  and  the  other,  as  to 
faith,  works,  and  merits,"  see  above,  n.  24  to  29.  From 
what  has  been  shown,  then,  it  is  evident,  that  this  faith  is  a 
faith  which  the  Roman  Catholics  swear  to  observe,  equally 
as  well  as  the  Reformed. 

107.  Nevertheless  this  faith  is  so  far  obliterated  among  the 
Roman  Catholics  at  this  day,  that  they  scarcely  know  a  sylla- 
ble about  it ;  not  that  it  has  been  reprobated  by  any  papal 
decree,  but  because  it  has  been  concealed  by  the  externals 
of  worship,  such  as  the  adoration  of  Christ's  vicar,  the  invo- 
cation of  saints,  the  veneration  of  images,  and  moreover  by 
such  things  as,  from  being  accounted  holy,  affect  the  senses, 
as  masses  in  an  unknown  tongue,  garments,  lights,  incense, 
pompous  processions ;  also  mysteries  respecting  the  eucharist ; 
by  these  things  and  others  of  a  like  nature,  faith  justifying  by 
the  imputation  of  the  merit  of  Christ,  although  a  primitive 
tenet  of  the  Romish  Church,  has  been  so  removed  out  of 
sight,  and  withdrawn  from  the  memory,  that  it  is  like  something 
buried  in  the  earth,  and  covered  over  with  a  stone,  which  the 
monks  have  set  a  watch  over,  to  prevent  its  being  dug  up  and 
revived  ;  for  were  it  revived,  the  belief  of  their  possessing 
a  supernatural  power  of  forgiving  sins,  and  thus  of  justifying, 
sanctifying,  and  bestowing  salvation,  would  cease,  and  there- 
with all  their  sanctity,  pre-eminence,  and  prodigious  gains. 

108.  The  Jirst  reason  why  the  Roman  Catholics  may  be 
brought  into  the  New  Jerusalem,  or  New  Church,  more 
easily  than  the  Reformed,  is,  because  the  faith  of  justifica- 
tion by  the  imputation  of  the  merit  of  Christ,  which  is  an 
erroneous  faith,  and  cannot  be  together  with  the  faith  of 
the  New  Chun  h,  (see  n.  102  to  104,)  is  with  them  obliterated, 
and  is  like  to  De  still  more  fully  so ;  whereas  it  is  as  it  were 
engraven  upon  the  Reformed,  inasmuch  as  it  is  the  principal 
tenet  of  their  church.  A  second  reason  is,  because  the  Ro- 
man Catholics  entertain  an  idea  of  divine  majesty  belonging 
to  the  Humanity  of  the  Lord,  more  than  the  Reformed  do, 
as  is  evident  from  their  most  devout  veneration  of  the  host. 
A  ih.  rd  reason  is,  because  they  hold  charity,  good  works, 
repf/itance,  and  attrition  to  amendment  of  life,  to  be  essen- 


DOCTRINE  OF  THE  NEW  CHURCH.  67 

tials  of  salvation,  and  these  are  also  essentials  of  the  New 
Church  ;  but  the  case  is  otherwise  with  the  Reformed,,  who 
'are  confirmed  in  faith  alone ;  with  these  the  above  are 
neither  regarded  as  essentials  nor  formalities  belonging  to 
faith,  and  consequently  as  not  at  all  contributing  to  salvation. 
These  are  three  reasons,  why  the  Roman  Catholics,  if  they 
approach  God  the  Saviour  Himself,  not  mediately  but  im- 
mediately, and  likewise  administer  the  holy  eucharist  in 
both  kinds,  may  more  easily  than  the  Reformed  receive  a 
living  faith  in  the  room  of  a  dead  faith,  and  be  conducted 
by  angels  from  the  Lord  to  the  gates  of  the  New  Jerusalem 
or  New  Church,  and  be  introduced  therein  with  joy  and 
shouting. 


109.  The  imputation  of  the  righteousness  or  merits  of 
Christ,  enters  at  this  day  like  a  soul  into  the  whole  system  of 
theology  throughout  the  Reformed  Christian  world :  it  is  from 
imputation  that  faith,  which  is  therein  accounted  the  only 
medium  of  salvation,  is  affirmed  to  be  righteousness  before 
God,  see  above,  n.  11 ,  (d) ;  and  it  is  from  imputation  that  man, 
by  means  of  that  faith,  is  said  to  be  clothed  with  the  gifts  of 
righteousness,  as  a  king  when  elected  is  invested  with  the  in- 
signia of  royalty.  But,  nevertheless,  imputation,  from  the  mere 
assertion  that  a  man  is  righteous,  effects  nothing,  for  it  passes 
only  into  the  ears,  and  does  not  operate  in  man,  unless  the 
imputation  of  righteousness  be  also  the  application  of  righteous- 
ness by  its  being  communicated  and  so  induced ;  this  follows 
from  its  effects,  which  are  said  to  be  the  remission  of  sins,  re- 
generation, renovation,  sanctification,  and  accordingly  salva- 
tion :  it  is  asserted  further,  that  by  means  of  that  faith  Christ 
dwells  in  man,  the  Holy  Spirit  operates  in  him,  and  that  hence 
the  regenerate  are  not  only  called  righteous,  but  are  in  reality 
such  :  that  not  only  the  gifts  of  God,  but  likewise  Christ  Him- 
self, yea,  all  the  Holy  Trinity,  dwells  by  faith  in  the  regenerate, 
as  in  their  temples,  see  above,  n.  15,  (') ;  and  that  man,  both  in 
regard  to  person  and  works,  is  righteous,  and  pronounced  to  be 
so,  see  above,  n.  14,  (°) :  from  which  it  clearly  follows,  that  by 
the  imputation  of  Christ's  righteousness  is  meant  its  applica- 
tion, and  thereby  its  being  induced,  by  virtue  of  which  man  is 
made  partaker  thereof.  Now  as  imputation  is  the  root,  the 
beginning,  and  the  foundation  of  faith,  and  all  its  operations 
towards  salvation,  and  hence  is  as  it  were  the  sanctuary  or 
sacred  recess  in  the  Christian  temples  at  this  day,  it  is  necessary 
to  subjoin  here  something  relative  to  Imputation  by  way  of 


68 


A  BRIEF  EXPOSITION  OF  THE 


corollary :  but  this  shall  be  distinctly  arranged  under  proper 
articles  in  the  following  order :  I.  That  to  every  one  after 
death  is  imputed  the  evil  in  which  he  is,  and  in  like  manner" 
the  good.  II.  That  the  induction  or  translation  of  the  good 
of  one  person  into  another,  is  a  thing  impossible.  III.  That 
a  faith  of  the  imputation  or  application  of  the  righteousness 
or  merits  of  Christ,  is,  inasmuch  as  such  imputation  or  ap- 
plication is  impossible,  an  imaginary  faith. 

110.  I.  That  to  every  one  after  death  is  imputed  the  Evil  in 
which  he  is,  and  in  like  manner  the  Good.  In  order  to  illus- 
trate this  with  some  degree  of  evidence,  it  shall  be  considered 
under  the  following  distinctions,  1.  That  every  one  has  a 
proper  life  of  his  own.  2.  That  the  life  of  every  one  remains 
with  him  after  death.  3.  That  to  the  evil  person  is  then  im- 
puted the  evil  of  his  life,  and  that  to  the  good  person  is  im- 
puted the  good  of  his  life.  First,  That  every  one  has  a  proper 
life  of  his  own,  consequently  a  life  distinct  from  that  of  an- 
other, is  well  known  :  for  there  is  a  perpetual  variety,  and  no 
two  things  are  alike  ;  hence  it  is  that  every  one  has  a  property 
that  is  peculiarly  his  own :  this  manifestly  appears  from  the 
faces  of  men,  there  not  being  one  face  exactly  like  another, 
nor  ever  can  be  to  eternity,  because  there  do  not  exist  two  minds 
alike,  and  the  face  is  from  the  mind,  for  it  is,  as  usually  de- 
nominated, the  type  or  index  of  the  mind,  and  the  mind  de- 
rives its  origin  and  form  from  the  life.  Unless  a  man  had  a 
proper  life  of  his  own,  as  he  has  a  mind  and  face  of  his  own, 
he  could  not  enjoy  any  life  after  death  distinct  from  that  of 
another  ;  nay,  heaven  could  not  exist,  for  this  consists  of  a  per- 
petual variety  arising  from  the  distinct  life  of  each  individual ; 
its  form  solely  proceeds  from  the  variety  of  souls  and  minds 
disposed  into  such  an  order,  as  to  constitute  one  whole ;  and 
they  constitute  one  from  t\at  One,  whose  life  is  in  the  whole 
and  in  every  particular  there,  as  the  soul  is  in  man  :  unless 
this  were  the  case,  heaven  would  be  dispersed,  because  its 
form  would  be  dissolved.  The  One  from  whom  the  life  of  all 
and  every  one  proceeds,  and  from  whom  that  form  coheres 
together,  is  the  Lord.  Secondly,  That  the  life  of  every 
one  rcmainrth  with  him  after  death,  is  known  in  the  church 
from  the  Word,  and  particularly  from  the  following  passages : 
"The  Son  of  man  shall  come,  and  then  he  shall  render  unto 
every  one  according  to  his  deeds,"  Matt.  xvi.  27.  "  I  saw 
the  books  opened,  and  all  were  judged  according  to  their 
works,"  Apoc.  xxi.  12, 13.  "In  the  day  of  judgment  God  will 
render  unto  every  one  according  to  his  works,"  Rom.  ii.  6. 
2  Corinth,  v.  10.     The  works,  according  to  which  it  shall  be 


DOCTRINE  OF  THE  NEW  CHURCH.  Uif 

rendered  unto  every  one,  are  the  life,  for  the  life  effects  them, 
and  they  are  according  to  the  life.  Forasmuch  as  it  has  been 
granted  me  for  many  years  past  to  be  in  consort  with  angels, 
and  to  converse  with  those  who  have  departed  from  the  world, 
I  can  testify  as  a  matter  of  certainty,  that  every  one  is  there 
examined  as  to  the  quality  of  his  past  life,  and  that  the 
life  which  he  had  contracted  in  the  world,  abides  with  him  to 
eternity  :  I  have  spoken  with  those,  who  lived  many  ages  ago, 
whose  life  I  was  acquainted  with  from  history,  and  I  found 
them  to  be  similar  in  quality  to  the  description  given  of  them : 
I  have  also  heard  from  the  angels,  that  no  one's  life  can  be 
changed  after  death,  because  it  is  organized  according  to  his  love 
and  faith,  and  hence  according  to  his  works ;  and  that  if  the  life 
were  changed,  the  organization  would  be  destroyed,  which 
never  can  be  done :  they  further  added,  that  a  change  of 
organization  can  only  take  place  in  the  material  body,  and  by 
no  means  in  the  spiritual  body,  after  the  former  is  rejected. 
Thirdly,  That  to  the  evil  person  is  then  imputed  the  evil  of  his 
life,  and  that  to  the  good  person  is  imputed  the  good  thereof 
The  imputation  of  evil,  after  death,  does  not  consist  in  accusa- 
tion, blame,  censure,  or  in  passing  judgment,  as  in  the  world; 
but  the  evil  itself  effects  this :  for  the  wicked,  of  their  own 
accord,  separate  themselves  from  the  good,  because  they  can- 
not be  together ;  the  delights  of  the  love  of  evil  are  in  aversion 
to  the  delights  of  the  love  of  good,  and  delights  exhale  from 
every  one,  as  odours  from  every  vegetable  on  earth ;  for  they 
are  no  longer  absorbed  and  concealed  by  the  material  body,  as 
before,  but  have  a  free  efflux  into  the  spiritual  atmosphere 
from  their  loves ;  and  inasmuch  as  evil  is  there  perceived  as  it 
were  in  its  odour,  it  is  this  which  accuses,  blames,  finds  guilty, 
and  judges ;  not  before  any  particular  judge,  but  before  every 
one  who  is  in  good ;  and  this  is  what  is  meant  by  imputation. 
The  imputation  of  good  is  effected  in  the  same  manner,  and 
takes  place  with  those,  who  in  the  world  had  acknowledged, 
that  every  good  in  them  was  and  is  from  the  Lord,  and  nothing 
thereof  from  themselves :  these,  after  preparation,  are  let  into 
the  interior  delights  of  their  own  good,  and  then  a  way  is  open- 
ed for  them  towards  a  society  in  heaven,  whose  delights  are 
homogeneous :  this  is  done  by  the  Lord. 

111.  II.  That  the  Induction  or  Translation  of  the  Good 
of  one  Person  to  another,  is  a  thing  impossible.  The  proof 
hereof  may  also  appear  from  the  following  observations  in 
their  order:  1.  That  every  man  is  born  in  evil.  2.  That 
man  is  led  into  good  through  regeneration  by  the  Lord.     3. 


70  A    BRIEF    EXPOSITION    OF    THE 

That  this  is  effected  by  faith  in  the  Lord,  and  by  a  life  accord- 
ing to  His  commandments.     4.  Wherefore  the  good  of  one 
person  cannot  by  application  be  transferred  to  another,  and  so 
imputed.     First,  That  every  man  is  born  in  evil,  is  known  in 
the  church.     This  evil  is  said  to  be  hereditary  from  Adam ; 
but  it  is  from  parents,  from  whom  every  one  derives  his  natural 
disposition,  or  inclination ;  which  is  a  fact  proved  both  by 
reason  and  experience ;  for  the  likenesses  of  parents  may  be 
traced  in  the  faces,  characters,  and  manners  of  their  children, 
and  their  children's  children  ;  hence  families  are  distinguish- 
ed by  many,  and  their  propensities  are  also  judged  of;  where- 
fore the  evils,  which  parents  have  contracted,  are  transmitted 
by  propagation  to  their  posterity,  and  manifest  themselves  by 
a  certain  inclination  towards  them ;  hence  are  derived  the  evils 
into  which  men  are  born.     Secondly,  That  man  is  led  into 
good  through  regeneration  by  the  Lord.     That  there  is  such 
a  thing  as  regeneration,  and  that  unless  a  person  is  regenerat- 
ed, he  cannot  enter  into  heaven,  is  very  evident  from  the  Lord's 
words  in  John  iii.  3,  5.     That  regeneration  is  purification  from 
evils,  and  thus  renovation  of  life,  the  Christian  world  cannot 
be  ignorant  of,  for  it  is  even  discerned  by  reason,  whilst  it 
acknowledges  that  every  one  is  born  in  evil,  and  that  evil  can- 
not be  washed  and  wiped  away,  like  filth,  by  soap  and  water, 
but  by  repentance.    Thirdly,  That  this  is  effected  by  faith  in 
the  Lord,  and  by  a  life  according  to  His  commandments.     The 
precepts  of  regeneration  are  five,  as  may  be  seen  above,  n.  43, 
44 ;  among  which  are  these  :  That  evils  ought  to  be  shunned, 
because  they  are  of  the  devil  and  from  the  devil ;  that  good 
actions  ought  to  be  done,  because  they  are  of  God  and   from 
God  ;  and  that  the  Lord  is  to  be  approached,  that  He  may  lead 
us  so  to  do.     Let  every  one  consider  and  weigh  with  himself, 
whether  good  can  be  derived  to  man  from  any  other  source ;  and 
if  he  is  not  possessed  of  good  he  cannot  be  saved.     Fourthly, 
Wherefore  the  good  of  one  person  cannot  by  application  be 
transferred  to  another,  and  so  imputed.     From  what  has  been 
said  above,  it  follows,  that  man  by  regeneration  is  renewed  as 
to  his  spirit,  and  that  this  is  effected  by  faith  in  the  Lord, 
accompanied  by  a  life  according  to  His  commandments :  who 
does  not  see,  that  this  renewal  can  only  be  effected  pro- 
gressively ;  nearly  in  like  manner  as  a  tree  takes  root,  and 
grows  successively  from  a  seed,   and  comes  to  perfection  ? 
They  who  have  a  different  notion  of  regeneration  and  reno- 
vation, know  nothing  of  the  state  of  man,  nor  any  thing  about 
evil  and  good,  as  that  they  are  diametrically  opposite  to  each 


DOCTRINE  OF  THE  NEW  CHURCH.  71 

other,  and  that  good  cannot  be  implanted  but  in  proportion  as 
evil  is  removed  ;  neither  do  they  know,  that  so  long  as  any  one 
is  in  evil,  he  is  averse  to  what  is  really  good ;  wherefore,  if  the 
good  of  one  person  were  to  be  applied  and  so  transferred  to 
another  who  is  in  evil,  it  would  be  like  casting  a  lamb  to  a 
wolf,  or  fastening  a  pearl  to  a  hog's  snout.  From  what  has 
been  said,  it  is  evident,  that  the  induction  or  translation  of 
the  good  of  one  person  into  another  is  a  thing  impossible. 

112.  III.  That  the  Faith  of  Imputation  or  Application  of 
the  Righteousness  or  Merits  of  Christy  is,  inasmuch  as  such 
Imputation  or  Application  is  impossible,  an  imaginary  Faith. 
That  to  every  one  is  imputed  the  evil  in  which  he  is,  and  in 
like  manner  the  good,  was  demonstrated  above,  n.  110;  hence 
it  is  evident,  that  if  by  imputation  is  meant  the  application, 
and  thereby  the  translation,  of  the  good  of  one  person  to  an- 
other, it  is  a  mere  creature  of  the  imagination.  In  the  world, 
merits  may  be  as  it  were  transcribed  by  men,  that  is,  benefits 
may  be  conferred  on  children  for  the  sake  of  their  parents,  or 
on  the  friends  of  any  favourite ;  yet  the  good  of  merit  cannot 
be  inscribed  on  their  souls,  but  only  externally  adjoined :  the 
like  cannot  take  place  with  men  in  respect  to  their  spiritual 
life :  this,  as  was  shown  above,  must  be  implanted,  and  if  not 
implanted  by  a  life  according  to  the  fore-mentioned  precepts 
of  the  Lord,  man  remains  in  the  evil  in  which  he  was  born ; 
until  this  is  brought  to  pass,  no  good  can  approach  him,  or,  if 
it  does,  it  is  instantly  repelled,  and  rebounds  like  an  elastic  ball 
falling  on  a  stone,  or  is  absorbed  like  a  diamond  thrown  into 
a  bog.  An  unreformed  man  is,  as  to  his  spirit,  like  a  panther, 
or  an  owl,  and  may  be  compared  to  a  thorn  or  a  nettle ;  but  a 
regenerate  man  is  like  a  sheep  or  a  dove,  and  may  be  com- 
pared to  an  olive-tree  or  a  vine ;  consider,  then,  I  pray,  if  thou 
art  disposed,  how  can  a  man-panther  be  converted  into  a  man- 
sheep,  or  an  owl  into  a  dove,  or  a  thorn  into  an  olive-tree,  or 
a  nettle  into  a  vine,  by  any  imputation,  if  thereby  is  meant 
transcription?  In  order  that  conversion  may  take  place, 
must  not  the  ferocious  nature  of  the  panther  and  the  owl,  and 
the  noxious  properties  of  the  thorn  and  the  nettle,  be  first  re- 
moved, and  thus  the  truly  human  and  inoffensive  properties  be 
implanted  ?  By  what  means  this  is  effected,  the  Lord  also 
teaches  in  John,  chap.  xv.  1  to  7. 

113.  To  the  above  shall  be  added  the  following  observa- 
tions. It  is  said  in  the  church,  that  none  can  fulfill  the  law, 
especially  since  whosoever  offends  against  one  command- 
ment of  the  decalogue,  offends  against  all.     This  form  of 


72  A  BRIEF  EXPOSITION  OF  THE 

speaking,  however,  is  to  be  taken  in  a  different  sense  from 
what  it  seems  to  convey ;  for  it  is  to  be  understood  in  this 
manner,  that  whosoever,  from  purpose  [of  the  will]  or  from 
confirmation  [of  the  understanding],  acts  in  opposition  to  one 
commandment,  acts  in  opposition  to  the  rest,  inasmuch  as  to 
act  thus  from  purpose  or  from  confirmation  is  to  deny  that 
any  thing  is  a  sin,  and  he  who  is  guilty  of  such  denial  of  sin, 
makes  light  of  acting  against  all  the  rest  of  the  commandments. 
Who  does  not  know,  that  he  who  is  a  fornicator,  is  not  there- 
fore a  murderer,  a  thief,  or  a  false  witness,  nor  even  willing  to 
be  such?  But  he  who  is  an  adulterer  from  purpose  and  con- 
firmation, makes  light  of  every  thing  relating  to  religion,  and 
consequently  pays  no  regard  to  murders,  thefts,  and  false  wit- 
ness, not  abstaining  from  them  on  account  of  their  being  sins, 
but  for  fear  of  the  law  or  loss  of  character.  The  case  is  similar, 
if  a  person  from  set  purpose  or  confirmation  offends  against 
any  other  commandment  of  the  decalogue;  he  then  also  offends 
against  the  rest,  because  he  does  not  account  any  thing  a  sin. 
Just  so  it  is,  also,  with  those  who  are  in  good  from  the  Lord, 
Such  persons,  if  from  their  will  and  understanding,  or  from 
set  purpose  and  confirmation,  they  abstain  from  one  evil  be- 
cause it  is  a  sin,  abstain  from  all,  and  still  more  if  they  abstain 
from  several ;  for  whenever  a  person  abstains,  from  purpose  and 
confirmation,  from  any  evil,  because  it  is  a  sin,  he  is  kept  by 
the  Lord  in  the  purpose  of  abstaining  from  the  rest ;  where- 
fore if,  through  ignorance,  or  any  predominant  concupiscence 
of  the  body,  he  commits  an  evil,  it  nevertheless  is  not  im- 
puted to  him,  inasmuch  as  he  did  not  purpose  it  to  himself, 
neither  does  he  afterwards  confirm  it  in  himself.  A  man 
comes  into  this  kind  of  purpose,  if  he  examines  himself  once 
or  twice  a  year,  and  repents  of  the  evil  he  discovers  in  him- 
self: it  is  otherwise  with  him  who  never  examines  himself. 
It  is  permitted  to  confirm  what  has  been  advanced  by  the  fol- 
lowing experience :  I  have  met  with  several  in  the  spiritual 
world,  who  had  lived  like  other  people  in  the  natural  world, 
with  respect  to  ornaments  of  dress,  delicacies  of  food,  making 
interest  of  money  by  trade  and  merchandise,  frequenting  play- 
houses, indulging  in  jocose  conversation  on  love-affairs,  with 
other  things  of  a  similar  nature ;  and  yet  the  angels  charged 
such  things  as  evils  of  sin  in  some,  and  not  as  evils  in  others, 
declaring  the  latter  innocent,  and  the  former  guilty :  on  being 
asked  the  reason  of  such  distinction,  when  both  had  indulged 
in  like  practices,  they  replied,  that  they  consider  all  according 
to  their  purpose,  intention,  and  end,  and  distinguish  them 


DOCTRINE  OF  THE  NEW  CHURCH.  73 

accordingly ;  and  therefore  that  they  excuse  and  condemn 
those  whom  the  end  excuses  or  condemns,  inasmuch  as  good 
is  the  end  that  influences  all  who  are  in  heaven,  and  evil  is 
the  end  that  influences  all  who  are  in  hell.  From  what  has 
been  said  it  now  plainly  appears,  to  whom  sin  is  imputed,  and 
to  whom  it  is  not  imputed. 


114.  To  the  above  shall  be  added  the  two  following 
Memorable  Relations,  taken  from  the  Apocalypse  Revealed. 
First.  I  was  once  seized  suddenly  with  a  disease  that  seem- 
ed to  threaten  my  life ;  my  whole  head  was  oppressed  with 
pain  ;  a  pestilential  smoke  was  let  in  from  the  great  city  called 
Sodom  and  Egypt,  Apoc.  xi.  8 ;  half  dead  with  severe  anguish, 
I  expected  every  moment  to  be  my  last :  thus  I  lay  in  bed  for 
the  space  of  three  days  and  a  half :  my  spirit  was  reduced  to 
this  state,  and  in  consequence  thereof  my  body.  Then  I 
heard  about  me  the  voices  of  persons  saying,  "Lo!  he  lies 
dead  in  the  street  of  our  city,  who  preached  repentance  for 
the  remission  of  sins,  and  preached  Christ  alone  [who  is]  a 
man;"  and  they  asked  several  of  the  clergy,  whether  he  was 
worthy  of  burial,  as  it  is  said  concerning  the  two  witnesses 
slain  in  that  city,  chap.  xi.  8,  9,  10 ;  and  they  answered,  "  No, 
let  him  lie  to  be  made  a  spectacle  of;"  and  they  passed  to  and 
fro,  and  mocked.  All  this  befell  me  of  a  truth,  whilst  I  was 
writing  the  explication  of  the  eleventh  chapter  of  the  Apoc- 
alypse. Then  were  heard  shocking  speeches  from  them,  such 
as  the  following :  "  How  can  repentance  be  performed  without 
faith  ?  And  how  can  Christ,  a  man,  be  adored  as  God  1  Whilst 
we  are  saved  freely  without  any  merit  of  our  own,  what  need 
is  there  of  any  thing  but  only  the  faith,  that  God  the  Father 
sent  the  Son  to  take  away  the  curse  of  the  law,  to  impute  His 
merit  to  us,  and  so  to  justify  us  in  His  sight,  and  absolve  us 
from  our  sins,  and  then  to  give  the  Holy  Spirit  to  operate  all 
good  in  us  1  Are  not  these  doctrines  agreeable  to  Scripture, 
and  to  reason  also?"  The  crowd  who  stood  by  received  these 
speeches  with  great  applause.  I  heard  all  this  without  any 
power  to  reply,  being  almost  dead :  but  after  three  days  and 
a  half  my  spirit  recovered,  and  I  went  forth  from  the  street 
into  the  city,  (being  in  the  spirit,)  and  again  said,  "Repent, 
and  believe  on  Christ,  and  your  sins  shall  be  remitted,  and  ye 
shall  be  saved,  but  otherwise  ye  shall  perish :  did  not  the  Lord 
Himself  preach  repentance  for  the  remission  of  sins,  and 
that  men  should  believe  on  Him  1  Did  He  not  enjoin  His 
7 


74  A    BRIEF    EXPOSITION    OF    THE 

disciples  to  preach  the  same  ?  Is  not  a  fiill  and  fatal  security 
oflife  the  sure  consequence  of  your  faith?"  But  they  replied, 
"  What  idle  talk  !  Has  not  the  Son  made  satisfaction  ?  And 
does  not  the  Father  impute  it  to  us,  and  justify  us  who  have 
believed  in  it?  Thus  we  are  led  by  the  spirit  of  grace,  and 
how  then  can  sin  have  place  in  us,  and  what  power  has  death 
to  hurt  us?  Dost  thou  comprehend  this  gospel,  thou  preacher 
of  sin  and  repentance?"  At  that  instant  a  voice  was  heard 
from  heaven,  saying,  "What  is  the  faith  of  an  impenitent 
man,  but  a  dead  faith  ?  The  end  is  come,  the  end  is  come, 
upon  you  that  are  secure,  unblamable  in  your  own  eyes, 
justified  in  your  own  faith,  yet  devils ;" — and  suddenly  a  deep 
gulf  was  opened  in  the  midst  of  the  city,  which  spread  itself 
far  and  wide,  and  the  houses  fell  one  upon  another,  and  were 
swallowed  up ;  and  presently  water  began  to  bubble  up  from 
the  large  whirlpool,  and  overflowed  the  waste. 

When  they  were  thus  overwhelmed,  and  to  appearance 
drowned,  I  was  desirous  to  know  their  condition  in  the  deep: 
and  a  voice  from  heaven  said  to  me,  "Thou  shalt  see  and 
hear  :"  and  immediately  the  waters  wherein  they  seemed  to  be 
drowned  disappeared,  (for  waters  in  the  spiritual  world  are  cor- 
respondences, and  consequently  appear  to  surround  those  who 
are  under  the  influence  of  falses;)  and  then  they  appeared  to 
me  in  a  sandy  bottom,  where  were  large  heaps  of  stones, 
among  which  they  ran,  and  lamented  that  they  were  cast  out 
of  their  great  city :  and  they  lifted  up  their  voices  and  cried, 
"Why  has  all  this  befallen  us?  Are  we  not,  through  our 
faith,  clean,  pure,  just,  and  holy?"  Others  exclaimed,  "Are 
we  not,  through  our  faith,  cleansed,  purified,  justified,  and 
sanctified  ?"  And  others  cried,  "  Are  we  not,  through  our 
faith,  rendered  worthy  to  be  reputed  and  esteemed  clean,  pure, 
just,  and  holy,  before  God  the  Father,  and  before  the  whole 
Trinity,  and  to  be  pronounced  such  before  the  angels?  Are 
not  we  reconciled,  atoned,  expiated,  and  thereby  absolved, 
washed,  and  cleansed  from  sins?  And  is  not  the  curse  of  the 
law  taken  away  by  Christ?  Why  then  are  we  cast  down 
hither  like  condemned  criminals  ?  We  have  been  told  by  a 
bold  preacher  of  sin  in  our  great  city,  Believe  on  Christ,  and 
do  the  work  of  repentance :  have  we  not  believed  on  Christ, 
whilst  we  believed  on  His  merit  ?  And  have  we  not  done  the 
work  of  repentance,  whilst  we  confessed  ourselves  sinners? 
Why  then  has  all  this  befallen  us  ?"  But  immediately  a 
voice  from  one  side  said  to  them,  "  Do  ye  know  any  one  sin 
that  ye  are  guilty  of ?     Have  ye  ever  examined  yourselves? 


DOCTRINE    OF    THE    NEW    CHURCH.  ]    75 

Have  ye  in  consequence  thereof  shunned  any  evil  as  sin 
against  God  ?  And  whosoever  does  not  shun  sin,  remains  in 
it.  Is  not  sin  the  devil  ?  Wherefore  ye  are  they,  of  whom 
the  Lord  saith, '  Then  shall  ye  begin  to  say,  We  have  eaten  and 
drunk  in  Thy  presence,  and  Thou  hast  taught  in  our  streets ; 
but  He  shall  answer,  I  say  unto  you,  I  know  you  not,  whence  ye 
are;  depart  from  Me,  all  ye  workers  of  iniquity,'  Luke  xiii. 
26,  27 ;  Matt.  vii.  22,  23.  Depart  therefore  every  one  to  his 
place;  ye  see  the  openings  into  those  caverns;  enter  therein, 
and  work  shall  be  given  each  of  you  to  do,  and  afterwards 
food  in  proportion  to  your  work ;  but  if  ye  refuse  at  present 
to  enter,  ye  will  presently  be  compelled  by  the  calls  of  hunger." 
Afterwards  there  came  a  voice  from  heaven  to  some  on 
earth  there,*  who  were  without  that  great  city,  and  who  are 
also  described  in  the  Apocalypse,  chap.  xi.  13,  crying  aloud, 
"  Take  heed  to  yourselves,  take  heed  how  ye  associate  your- 
selves with  such  persons ;  cannot  ye  understand,  that  evils, 
which  are  called  sins  and  iniquities,  render  man  unclean  and 
impure  ?  How  can  man  be  cleansed  and  purified  from  them, 
but  by  actual  repentance,  and  faith  in  the  Lord  God  the  Sa- 
viour? Actual  repentance  consists  in  a  man's  examining 
himself,  in  knowing  and  acknowledging  his  sins,  in  making 
himself  guilty,  in  confessing  them  before  the  Lord,  in  implor- 
ing help  and  power  to  resist  them,  and  thus  in  desisting  from 
them,  and  leading  a  new  life,  and  doing  all  these  things  as  of 
himself:  practise  this  once  or  twice  in  a  year,  when  ye  ap- 
proach the  holy  communion ;  and  afterwards  when  the  sins, 
whereof  ye  made  yourselves  guilty,  recur,  then  say  to  your- 
selves, We  will  not  consent  to  them  because  they  are  sins 
against  God :  this  is  actual  repentance.  Who  cannot  see, 
that  where  a  man  does  not  examine  himself  and  see  his  sins,  he 
remains  in  them  ?  For  all  evil  is  pleasant  to  a  man  from  his 
birth ;  it  is  pleasant  to  take  revenge,  to  commit  whoredom,  to 
defraud,  to  blaspheme ;  does  not  the  pleasure  you  find  in  them 
prevent  their  being  seen  ?  And,  if  you  are  told  that  they^  are 
sins,  do  you  not,  on  account  of  that  pleasure,  excuse  them  1 
Nay,  do  you  not,  by  false  reasonings,  confirm  them,  and  per- 
suade yourselves  that  they  are  not  sins?  And  so  you  continue  in 
them,  and  practise  them  afterwards  more  than  before;  even 
till  you  do  not  know  what  sin  is,  or  whether  there  be  any  such 

*  By  earth  here  is  to  be  understood  the  earth  in  the  spiritual  world,  which  is 
of  a  spiritual  origin,  the  existence  whereof,  together  with  Us  correspondence  with 
the  earth  in  the  natural  world,  is  constantly  declared  by  our  author  in  all  his 
spiritual  experience. 


76  A    BRIEF    EXPOSITION    OF   THE 

thing  as  sin  or  not.  But  the  case  is  otherwise  with  every  one 
who  performs  actual  repentance  ;  he  calls  his  evils,  which  he 
has  thus  learnt  to  know  and  acknowledge,  sins,  and  therefore 
begins  to  shun  and  detest  them,  and  to  feel  their  delights  as 
undelightful ;  and  in  proportion  as  this  is  the  case,  he  sees  and 
loves  what  is  good,  and  at  length  tastes  the  delights  of  goodness, 
which  are  the  delights  of  heaven :  in  a  word,  so  far  as  any  one 
renounces  the  devil,  so  far  he  is  adopted  by  the  Lord,  and  by 
Him  is  taught,  guided,  withheld  from  evils,  and  preserved  in 
what  is  good :  this  is  the  way,  and  there  is  no  other,  which  leads 
from  hell  to  heaven."  It  is  something  extraordinary,  that  there 
is  in  the  Reformed  a  certain  deep-rooted  opposition  and  aversion 
to  actual  repentance,  which  is  so  violent,  that  they  cannot  force 
themselves  to  self-examination,  and  to  see  their  sins,  and  to  con- 
fess them  before  God ;  they  are  seized  as  it  were  with  horror  at 
the  very  intention  of  such  a  thing  :  I  have  inquired  of  many  in 
the  spiritual  world  concerning  this  circumstance,  who  have 
all  told  me,  that  it  is  above  their  power  ;  and  when  they  have 
been  informed  that  the  Roman  Catholics  practise  such  duties, 
namely,  that  they  examine  themselves,  and  confess  their  sins 
openly  before  a  monk,  they  have  been  greatly  astonished,  and 
likewise  wondered  that  the  Re'brmed  cannot  do  the  same  in 
private  before  God,  although  it  is  alike  enjoined  them  previous 
to  their  approaching  the  holy  supper :  some  have  examined 
into  the  cause  of  this,  and  found,  that  the  doctrine  of  faith 
alone  is  what  occasions  such  an  impenitent  state,  and  such  a 
heart ;  and  then  it  was  given  them  to  see,  that  such  of  the 
Romish  Church  as  approach  and  adore  Christ,  and  do  not 
adore,  but  only  honour,  the  leaders  and  heads  of  their  church, 
are  saved. 

After  the  above  admonition,  was  heard  as  it  were  a  noise 
of  thunder,  and  a  voice  speaking  from  heaven,  saying,  "  We 
are  amazed :  say  unto  the  body  of  the  Reformed,  Believe  on 
Christ,  and  do  the  work  of  repentance,  and  ye  shall  be  saved." 
And  I  spake  these  words  to  them  ;  and  added  further,  "  Is  not 
baptism  a  sacrament  of  repentance,  and  thereby  an  introduc- 
tion into  the  church  ?  What  else  do  the  sponsors  promise  for 
the  person  to  be  baptized,  but  that  he  will  renounce  the  devil 
and  his  works  ?  Is  not  the  sacred  supper  a  sacrament  of  re- 
pentance, and  thereby  an  introduction  into  heaven  ?  Is  it  not 
declared  to  the  communicants,  that  they  must  do  the  work  of 
repentance  before  they  approach  1  Is  not  the  Decalogue  the 
doctrine  of  the  whole  Christian  Church,  which  inculcates  re- 
pentance ?  Is  it  not  there  said,  in  the  six  commandments  of  the 


DOCTRINE    OF    THE    NEW    CHURCH.  77 

second  table,  Thou  shalt  not  do  this  and  that  evil,  and  not  said, 
Thou  shalt  do  this  and  that  good  1  Hence  ye  may  understand, 
that  in  proportion  as  any  one  shuns  evil,  in  the  same  pro- 
portion he  loves  good,  and  that  before  this  he  does  not  know 
either  what  good  is,  or  what  evil  is." 

115.  The  Second  Memorable  Relation  is  as  follows.  An 
angel  once  said  to  me,  "  If  thou  desirest  to  see  clearly  the 
nature  of  faith  and  charity,  and  thereby  what  faith  is  when 
separate  from  charity,  and  what  it  is  when  conjoined  with 
charity,  I  will  give  thee  ocular  demonstration  of  it."  I  re- 
plied, "  Show  it  me  :"  and  he  said,  "  Instead  of  faith  and  char- 
ity, substitute  light  and  heat,  and  thou  wilt  see  clearly  what 
I  mean ;  for  faith  in  its  essence  is  the  truth  of  wisdom,  and 
charity  in  its  essence  is  the  affection  of  love,  and  the  truth 
of  wisdom  in  heaven  is  light,  and  the  affection  of  love  in 
heaven  is  heat :  the  light  and  heat  which  the  angels  feel  and 
enjoy,  are  nothing  else :  hence  thou  mayest  see  clearly  what 
faith  is  when  separate  from  charity,  and  what  it  is  when  con- 
joined with  charity.  Faith  separate  from  charity  is  like  the 
light  in  winter,  and  faith  conjoined  with  charity  is  like  the 
light  in  spring ;  the  light  of  winter,  which  is  light  separate 
from  heat,  and,  in  consequence  thereof,  conjoined  with  cold, 
strips  the  trees  of  all  their  leaves,  kills  every  green  herb,  makes 
the  ground  hard,  and  freezes  the  water;  but  the  light  in 
spring,  which  is  light  conjoined  with  heat,  causes  the  trees  to 
vegetate,  first  into  leaves,  then  into  blossoms,  and  lastly  into 
fruits ;  it  opens  and  softens  the  ground,  whereby  it  yields 
grass,  herbs,  flowers,  and  fruits ;  and  it  also  dissolves  the  ice, 
so  that  the  waters  flow  from  their  fountains.  Exactly  similar 
is  the  case  with  faith  and  charity ;  faith  separate  from  charity 
deadens  all  things,  and  faith  conjoined  with  charity  enlivens 
all  things.  The  nature  of  such  deadening  and  enlivening 
may  be  seen  visibly  in  our  spiritual  world,  because  here  faith 
is  light,  and  charity  heat ;  for  where  faith  is  conjoined  with 
charity,  there  are  paradisiacal  gardens,  flowery  walks,  and 
verdant  groves,  gay  and  delightful  in  proportion  to  such  con- 
junction ;  but  where  faith  is  separate  from  charity,  there  does 
not  grow  so  much  as  a  blade  of  grass,  nor  any  green  thing, 
except  it  be  on  thorns  and  briers."  There  were  standing  at 
a  little  distance  from  us  some  of  the  clergy,  whom  the  angel 
called  justifiers  and  sanctifiers  of  men  by  faith  alone,  and  also 
arcanists,  that  is,  dealers  in  mysteries  :  we  related  to  them  the 
same  things  concerning  charity  and  faith,  and  likewise  gave 
them  ocular  demonstration  of  the  truth  of  our  assertions ;  but 
7* 


78  A    BRIEF    EXPOSITION    OF    THE 

when  we  asked  them  whether  they  believed  it  to  be  so,  they 
turned  their  backs  upon  us,  and  said,  "  We  do  not  hear  you ;" 
whereupon  we  raised  our  voices,  and  cried,  "  Hear  us  now 
then  r"  but  immediately  they  stopped  their  ears  with  both 
hands,  and  exclaimed,  "We  will  not  to  hear." 


CONCLUSION. 


From  Jeremiah,  chap.  vii.  2,  3,  4,  9,  10,  11. 

Stand  in  the  gate  of  the  house  of  Jehovah,  and  proclaim 
there  this  word:  Thus  saith  Jehovah  of  hosts,  the  God  of Israel : 
Amend  your  ways,  and  your  works ;  trust  ye  not  in  lying  words, 
saying,  The  temple  of  Jehovah,  the  temple  of  Jehovah,  the  temple 
of  Jehovah  is  here  [that  is,  the  church)  :  will  ye  steal,  murder, 
commit  adultery,  and  swear  falsely,  and  after  that  come  and 
stand  before  Me  in  this  house,  whereon  My  name  is  called,  and 
say,  We  are  delivered,  whilst  ye  do  all  these  abominations  1  Is 
not  this  house  become  a  den  of  robbers  ?  Even  I,  behold,  I  have 
seen,  saith  Jehovah. 


DOCTRINE  OP  THE  NEW  CHURCH.  79 


APPENDIX. 


116.  The  Faith  of  the  New  Heaven  and  New  Church, 
in  its  universal  form,  is  this : — That  the  Lord  from  eternity, 
who  is  Jehovah,  came  into  the  world,  that  He  might  sub- 
due the  hells,  and  glorify  His  Humanity  ;  that  without  this 
coming  no  mortal  could  have  been  saved ;  anc^that  all  will 
be  saved  who  believe  in  Him. 

It  is  called  faith  in  its  universal  form,  because  this  is  the 
universal  of  faith,  and  the  universal  of  faith  is  what  must 
enter  into  all  and  every  particular  part  thereof.  It  is  a 
universal  of  faith,  that  God  is  one  in  essence  and  person, 
in  whom  is  a  trinity,  and  that  the  Lord  God  the  Saviour 
Jesus  Christ  is  He.  It  is  a  universal  of  faith,  that  no 
mortal  could  have  been  saved,  unless  the  Lord  had  come 
into  the  world.  It  is  a  universal  of  faith,  that  He  came 
into  the  world  to  remove  hell  from  man,  which  He  effect- 
ed by  combats  against  it,  and  victories  over  it ;  whereby 
He  subdued  it,  and  reduced  it  to  order,  and  under  obedi- 
ence to  Himself.  It  is  a  universal  of  faith,  that  He  came 
into  the  world  to  glorify  the  Humanity  which  He  assumed 
in  the  world,  that  is,  to  unite  it  with  the  Divinity  of  which 
it  was  begotten ;  thus  having  subdued  hell,  He  keeps  it 
eternally  in  order  and  under  obedience  to  Himself.  Inas- 
much as  both  these  works  [the  subjugation  of  hell,  and  the 
glorification  of  His  Humanity]  could  only  be  effected  by 
means  of  temptations  admitted  into  His  Humanity,  even  to 
the  last,  which  was  the  passion  of  the  cross  ;  therefore  He 
endured  that  also.  These  are  the  universals  of  faith  con- 
cerning the  Lord. 

The  universal  of  Christian  faith  on  man's  part  is,  that 
he  should  believe  on  the  Lord,  for  by  believing  on  Him 
he  has  conjunction  with  Him,  and  by  conjunction  salvation. 
To  believe  on  Him,  is  to  have  confidence  that  He  will 
save ;  and  because  none  can  have  such  confidence  but  he 
who  leads  a  good  life,  therefore  this  also  is  meant  by  be- 
lieving on  Him. 

117.  The  Faith  of  the  New  Heaven  and  New  Church, 


80  A  BRIEF  EXPOSITION  OP  THE 

in  its  particular  form,  is  this  : — That  Jehovah  God  is  es- 
sential love  and  essential  wisdom,  or  that  He  is  essential 
good  and  essential  truth ;  and  that  as  to  His  divine  truth, 
which  is  the  Word,  and  which  was  God  with  God,  He 
came  down  and  assumed  Humanity,  for  the  purpose  of 
restoring  to  order  all  things  which  were  in  heaven,  and 
which  were  in  hell,  and  which  were  in  the  church ;  inas- 
much as  at  that  time  the  power  of  the  devil,  that  is,  of  hell, 
prevailed  over  the  power  of  heaven,  and  on  earth  the  power 
of  evil  prevailed  over  the  power  of  good ;  in  consequence 
whereof,  a  total  destruction  and  damnation  were  at  hand, 
and  threatened  every  creature :  this  impending  destruc- 
tion and  damnation  Jehovah  God  removed  by  His  Hu- 
manity, which  was  divine  truth,  and  thus  He  redeemed 
both  angels  and  men ;  and  afterwards  He  united  in  His 
Humanity  divine  truth  with  divine  good,  and  thus  return- 
ed into  His  Divinity,  in  which  He  was  from  eternity,  to- 
gether with  His  glorified  Humanity.  This  is  signified  by 
these  words  in  John :  "  The  Word  was  with  God,  and 
God  was  the  Word ;  and  the  Word  became  flesh ,"  chap, 
i.  1,  14;  and  in  another  place,  "  I  went  forth  from  the 
Father,  and  am  come  into  the  world ;  again  I  leave  the 
world,  and  go  to  the  Father,"  chap.  xvi.  28.  Hence  it  ap- 
pears, that  unless  the  Lord  had  come  into  the  world,  no  one 
could  have  been  saved.  The  case  is  similar  at  this  day  ; 
wherefore,  unless  the  Lord  come  again  into  the  world  in 
Divine  Truth,  which  is  the  Word,  no  person  can  be  saved. 
The  particulars  of  faith  on  the  part  of  man  are  these  : 
— I.  That  God  is  one,  in  whom  is  a  divine  trinity,  and  that 
the  Lord  God  the  Saviour  Jesus  Christ  is  that  God.  II. 
That  a  saving  faith  is  to  believe  on  Him.  III.  That  evils 
ought  to  be  shunned,  because  they  are  of  the  devil  and 
from  the  devil.  IV.  That  good  actions  ought  to  be  done, 
because  they  are  of  God  and  from  God.  V.  And  that 
they  should  be  done  by  man  as  of  himself,  nevertheless 
under  this  belief,  that  they  are  from  the  Lord  operating  in 
him  and  by  him.  The  two  first  particulars  have  relation 
to  faith ;  the  two  next  to  charity ;  and  the  last  respects 
the  conjunction  of  charity  and  faith,  and  thereby  of  the 
Lord  and  man. — Refer  also  to  what  has  been  said  above, 
n.  44,  on  this  subject. 


DOCTRINE  OF  THE  NEW  CHURCH.  81 


The  Three  following  Memorable  Relations  are  taken 
from  the  Apocalypse  Revealed. 

118.  First  Memorable  Relation.  While  I  was  writing  the 
explication  of  the  20th  chapter  of  the  Apocalypse,  and  medi- 
tating about  the  dragon,  the  beast,  and  the  false  prophet,  a 
certain  angelic  spirit  appeared  before  me,  and  asked  what 
was  the  subject  of  my  meditation.  I  answered,  "  Concerning 
the  false  prophet."  Then  he  said,  "I  will  lead  thee  to  the 
place  of  the  abode  of  those  who  are  signified  by  the  false 
prophet,  and  who  are  the  same  that  are  understood,  in  the 
13th  chapter  of  the  Apocalypse,  by  the  beast  rising  from  the 
earth,  which  had  two  horns  like  a  lamb,  and  spake  like  a 
dragon."  I  followed  him,  and,  lo !  I  saw  a  great  multitude  of 
people,  and  in  the  midst  of  them  several  persons  of  note  and 
distinction  in  the  church,  who  had  taught,  that  man  is  saved 
only  by  faith  in  the  merits  of  Christ,  and  that  works  are  good 
and  profitable,  but  not  in  regard  to  salvation,  but  that  never- 
theless they  are  to  be  recommended  as  agreeable  to  the  Word, 
and  as  a  means  of  keeping  the  laity,  particularly  the  simple 
amongst  them,  in  stricter  obedience  to  the  civil  magistrate, 
and  instigating  them  to  the  exercise  of  moral  charity,  as  if 
from  interior  obligations  arising  from  religion.  Then  one  of 
them,  observing  me,  said,  "Do  you  wish  to  see  our  place  of 
worship,  wherein  is  an  image  representative  of  our  faith?" 
On  which  he  conducted  me  to  a  building  which  was  very 
magnificent,  and,  lo!  in  the  midst  of  it  there  was  an  image  of 
a  woman,  clothed  in  a  scarlet  vest,  and  holding  in  her  right 
hand  a  piece  of  gold  coin,  and  in  her  left  a  chain  of  pearls : 
but  both  the  image  and  the  place  of  worship  were  the  effect 
of  phantasy ;  for  thereby  infernal  spirits  have  the  power  to 
represent  very  magnificent  objects,  by  closing  the  interiors  of 
the  mind,  and  opening  only  its  exteriors.  When  I  perceived, 
however,  that  all  this  was  a  mere  trick  and  delusion,  I  prayed 
to  the  Lord,  and  suddenly  the  interiors  of  my  mind  were 
opened,  and  then  I  beheld,  instead  of  the  magnificent  dome, 
a  poor  house,  full  of  clefts  and  chinks  from  top  to  bottom, 
without  any  order  or  regularity  about  it ;  and  I  saw  within 
the  house,  instead  of  the  woman,  a  pendent  image,  with  a 
head  like  a  dragon,  a  body  like  a  leopard,  feet  like  a  bear, 
and  a  mouth  like  a  lion,  in  every  respect  as  the  beast  rising 
out  of  the  sea  is  described,  Apoc.  xiii.  2 :  moreover,  instead 
of  firm  ground,  there  was  nothing  but  a  bog  containing  a 


82  A    BRIEF    EXPOSITION    OP    THE 

multitude  of  frogs ;  and  I  was  informed,  that  beneath  the  bog 
was  a  large  hewn  stone,  under  which  the  Word  lay  entirely 
concealed.     On  seeing  these  things,  I  said  to  the  conjurer, 
"Is  this  your  place  of  worship?"     And  he  replied,  "It  is;" 
but  suddenly,  at  that  very  instant,  his  interior  sight  was  open- 
ed, whereby  he  saw  the  same  appearances  that  I  did ;  where- 
upon he  cried  out  with  a  loud  voice,  "  What  and  whence  is 
all  this  ?"     And  I  said,  "  This  is  in  consequence  of  light  from 
heaven,  which  discovers  the  quality  of  every  form,  and  thus 
has  discovered  the  quality  of  your  faith  separate   from  the 
spiritual  principle  of  charity."     Then   immediately  an  east 
wind  blew,  and  carried  away  the  place  of  worship,  together 
with  the  image,  and  likewise  dried  up  the  bog,  and  thereby 
exposed  the  stone,  under  which  lay  the  Word.     After  this  a 
vernal  warmth  breathed  from  heaven,  and,  lo !  then  in  the 
same  place  there  appeared  a  tabernacle,  as  to  its  outward  form 
plain  and  simple ;  and  the  angels  who  were  with  me  said, 
"Behold  the  tabernacle  of  Abraham,  such  as  it  was  when  the 
three  angels  came  to  him,  and  announced  the  future  birth  of 
Isaac :  it  appears  indeed  plain  and   simple  to  the  eye,  but 
nevertheless,  in  proportion  to  the  influx  of  light  from  heaven, 
it  becomes  more  and  more  magnificent."     They  were  then 
permitted  to  open  the   heaven,  which  is  the  abode  of  the 
spiritual  angels,  who  excel  in  wisdom;  whereupon,  by  virtue 
of  the  influx  of  light  from  thence,  the  tabernacle  appeared  as 
a  temple,  resembling  that  at  Jerusalem;   and  on  looking  into 
it,  I  saw  the  stone  in  the  floor,  under  which  the  Word  was 
deposited,  beset  with  precious  stones,  from  which  there  issued 
forth  bright  rays,  as  of  lightning,  that  shone  upon  the  walls, 
and  caused  beautiful  variegations  of  colours  on  certain  cheru- 
bic forms  that  were  sculptured  thereon.     As  I  was  wondering 
at  these  prodigies,  the  angels  said,  "  Thou  shalt  yet  see  some- 
thing more  surprising."     Then  they  were  permitted  to  open 
the  third  heaven,  which  is  the  abode  of  the  celestial  angels, 
who  excel  in  love ;  and  suddenly,  by  virtue  of  the  influx  of 
light  from  thence,  the  whole  temple  disappeared,  and  instead 
thereof  was  seen  the  Lord  alone,  standing  on  the  stone  below, 
which    was   the   Word,   in  the  same    form  and   figure   that 
He  appeared  in  before  John,  Apoc.  chap.  i.     But  whereas  a 
divine  sanctity  instantly  filled  the   interiors  of  the  angels' 
minds,  whereby  they  felt  a  strong  propensity  to  fall  prostrate 
on  their  faces,  suddenly  the  passage  of  light  from  the  third 
heaven  was  closed  by  the  Lord,  and  that  from  the  second 
heaven  opened  again,  in  consequence  whereof  the  former  ap- 


DOCTRINE  OF  THE  NEW  CHURCH.  83 

pearance  of  the  temple  returned,  and  also  of  the  tabernacle, 
but  this  was  in  the  temple.  Hereby  was  illustrated  the  mean- 
ing of  these  words  in  the  Apocalypse,  chap.  xxi.  "Behold, 
the  tabernacle  of  God  is  with  men,  and  He  will  dwell  with 
them"  verse  3;  and  also  of  these  :  UI  saw  no  temple  in  the 
New  Jerusalem,  for  the  Lord  God  Omnipotent  and  the  Lamb 
are  the  temple  of  it"  verse  22. 

119.  The  Second  Memorable  Relation  from  the  Apocalypse 
Revealed.  Awaking  on  a  time  out  of  sleep,  I  fell  into  a  pro- 
found meditation  about  God;  and  when  I  looked  upwards, 
I  saw  in  the  heaven  above  me  a  most  clear  shining  light  in 
an  oval  form ;  and  as  I  fixed  my  eyes  attentively  upon  the 
light,  it  moved  gradually  from  the  centre  towards  the  circum- 
ference ;  and  lo !  then  heaven  was  opened  unto  me,  and  I  be- 
held magnificent  scenes,  and  saw  angels  standing  in  the  form 
of  a  circle,  on  the  southern  side  of  the  opening,  in  conversa- 
tion with  each  other ;  and  because  I  earnestly  desired  to  know 
what  they  were  conversing  about,  it  was  permitted  me  first  to 
hear  the  sound  of  their  voices,  which  was  full  of  celestial  love, 
and  afterwards  to  distinguish  their  speech,  which  was  full  of 
wisdom  flowing  from  that  love.  They  conversed  together 
concerning  the  One  God,  of  conjunction  with  Him,  and  salva- 
tion thereby.  The  matter  of  their  discourse  was  for  the  most 
part  ineffable,  there  being  no  words  in  any  natural  language 
adapted  to  convey  its  meaning ;  but  as  I  had  oftentimes  been 
in  consort  with  angels  in  their  heaven,  and,  being  at  such 
times  in  a  similar  state  with  them,  was  also  in  the  use  and 
understanding  of  their  language,  therefore  I  was  now  abse  to 
comprehend  what  they  said,  and  to  collect  some  particulars 
from  their  conversation,  which  may  be  intelligibly  expressed 
in  the  words  of  natural  language.  They  said  that  the  Divine 
Esse  is  One,  the  Same,  the  Real,  (Ipsum,)  and  Indivisih b>  that 
so  also  is  the  Divine  Essence,  inasmuch  as  the  Divine  h.sse  is 
the  Divine  Essence ;  and  that  so,  likewise,  is  God,  for  no 
Divine  Essence,  which  is  also  the  Divine  Esse,  is  God.  Tins 
they  illustrated  by  spiritual  ideas,  saying,  that  the  Divine  Rsse 
cannot  possibly  belong  to  several,  so  as  to  be  a  Divine  Esse 
in  each  of  them,  and  yet  remain  One,  the  Same,  the  Real, 
and  Indivisible  ;  for  on  such  a  supposition,  each  wouid  think 
from  his  own  esse  of  and  by  himself;  or  should  the  thoughts 
of  each  be  influenced  at  the  same  time  from  and  by  the  rest, 
to  agreement  and  unanimity,  they  would  then  be  several 
unanimous  Gods,  and  not  one  God  ;  for  unanimity,  being  the 
consent  of  several,  and  at  the  same  time  of  each  from  and  by 


84  A    BRIEF    EXPOSITION    OP    THE 

himself,  does  not  comport  with  the  unity  of  God,  but  implies 
plurality ;  they  did  not  say,  of  Gods,  because  they  could  not, 
inasmuch  as  the  light  of  heaven,  which  gave  birth  to  their 
thought,  and  which  conveyed  their  words,  was  in  opposition 
to  that  expression.  They  added  further,  that  when  they  meant 
to  pronounce  the  word  Gods,  and  each  as  a  distinct  person  by 
Himself,  the  power  of  pronunciation  was  diverted  immediately 
to  utter  one  God,  yea,  the  only  God.  Again,  they  proved 
that  the  Divine  Esse  is  the  Divine  Esse  in  itself,  not  from  it- 
self, because  to  be  from  itself  supposes  an  Esse  in  itself  from 
another ;  thus  it  supposes  a  God  from  a  God,  which  is  not 
possible :  what  is  from  God  is  not  called  God,  but  is  called 
divine  ;  for  what  is  God  from  God  ;  consequently  what  is 
God  from  God  born  from  eternity  ;  and  what  is  God  from  God 
proceeding  through  a  God  born  from  eternity ;  but  obscure 
words,  that  have  no  light  in  them  from  heaven  1  They  said 
further,  that  the  Divine  Esse,  which  in  itself  is  God,  is  the 
Same :  not  simply  the  Same,  but  infinitely  the  Same,  that 
is,  the  Same  from  eternity  to  eternity ;  it  is  the  Same  in  every 
place,  and  the  Same  with  every  one,  and  in  every  one  ;  but  that 
all  variableness  and  changeableness  is  in  the  recipient, 
occasioned  by  the  peculiar  state  and  circumstances  thereof. 
That  the  Divine  Esse,  which  is  God  in  himself,  is  the  Real* 
they  thus  explained :  God  is  the  Real,  because  He  is  love  it- 
self, and  wisdom  itself,  or,  what  is  the  same,  because  He  is  good 
itself,  and  truth  itself,  and  of  consequence  life  itself,  which, 
unless  they  were  real  in  God,  could  have  no  existence  in  heav- 
en or  in  the  world,  inasmuch  as  there  would  be  nothing  in 
them  that  had  relation  to  what  is  real;  for  all  qualny  has  its 
quality  from  this  condition  of  its  existence,  that  th^re  be  a 
something  real,  from  whence  it  is  derived,  and  to  which  it 
has  relation  as  the  cause  of  its  peculiar  quality  :  this  Reality, 
which  is  the  Divine  Esse,  is  not  in  place,  but  with  those 
and  in  those  who  are  in  place,  according  to  its  reception ; 
inasmuch  as  neither  place,  nor  progression  from  one  place 
to  another,  is  predicable  of  love  and  wisdom,  or  of  good- 
ness and  truth,  or  of  life  derived  thence,  which  are  Reality  in 
God,  nay,  Real  God  [or  God  Himself] ;  but  such  things  exist 
in  God  without  place,  and  this  is  the  foundation  of  the  divine 

*  The  term  Ipsum,  here  and  elsewhere  in  this  Memorable  Relation  translated 
Real,  properly  signifies  Itself,  being  the  same  term  which  is  so  translated  just 
below,  when  used  adjectively  in  connection  with  the  terms  love  and  wisdom, 
good  and  truth  :  but  as  we  cannot,  consistently  with  the  idiom  of  the  English  lan- 
guage, use  the  term  Itself  or  the  Itself,  absolutely,  the  word  Real  is  substituted, 
as  coming  nearest  to  it  in  signification. 


DOCTRINE  OF  THE  NEW  CHURCH.  85 

omnipresence ;  wherefore  the  Lord  says,  "  That  He  is  in  the 
midst  of  them,  and  that  He  is  in  them,  and  they  in  Him"  But 
since  He  cannot  be  received  by  any  creature  such  as  He  is  in 
Himself,  He  appears  such  as  He  is  in  Himself  as  a  sun  above 
the  angelic  heavens,  that  which  proceeds  thence  as  light 
being  Himself  as  to  wisdom,  and  that  which  proceeds  thence 
as  heat  being  Himself  as  to  love  :  yet  He  Himself  is  not  that 
sun,  but  divine  love  and  divine  wisdom  in  their  proximate 
emanation  from  Him,  and  round  about  Him,  appear  as  a  sun 
before  the  angels :  Himself  in  the  sun  is  a  Man,  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  both  with  respect  to  the  All-begetting  Divinity 
(Divinum  a  Quo),  and  with  respect  to  the  Divine  Human  ; 
inasmuch  as  the  Real  Esse,  which  is  love  itself,  and  wisdom 
itself,  was  His  soul  from  the  Father,  and  thus  divine  life, 
which  is  life  in  itself;  the  case  is  otherwise  with  man,  for  in 
him  the  soul  is  not  life,  but  a  recipient  of  life :  this  the  Lord 
also  teaches  when  He  says,  "  1  am  the  Way,  the  Truth,  and 
the  Life;"  and  in  another  place,  "  As  the  Father  hath  life  in 
Himself,  so  hath  He  given  to  the  Son  to  have  life  in  Himself" 
John  v.  26 :  life  in  Himself  is  God.  They  further  added,  that 
whosoever  is  under  the  influence  of  any  spiritual  light,  may 
see  plainly  from  what  has  been  said,  that  the  Divine  Esse, 
which  is  also  the  Divine  Essence,  being  One,  the  Same,  the 
Real,  and  of  consequence  Indivisible,  cannot  possibly  exist  in 
more  than  one ;  and  that  if  it  should  be  supposed  to  exist  in 
more,  manifest  contradictions  would  follow  upon  such  a  sup- 
position. 

As  I  listened  to  this  discourse,  the  angels  perceived  in  my 
thought  the  common  ideas  respecting  God  entertained  in  the 
Christian  church,  of  a  trinity  of  persons  in  unity,  and  their 
unity  in  trinity ;  as  also  of  the  birth  of  the  Son  of  God  from 
eternity ;  whereupon  they  said  to  me,  "  What  notions  are 
these  which  thou  entertainest  1  Are  they  not  the  offspring  of 
natural  light,  wherewith  our  spiritual  light  hath  no  agree- 
ment? Unless,  therefore,  thou  rcmovest  these  ideas  from  thy 
mind,  we  must  shut  heaven  against  thee  and  begone."  But 
I  replied,  "  Enter,  I  beseech  you,  more  deeply  into  my 
thought,  and  possibly  you  will  find  it  in  agreement  with  your 
own."  And  they  did  so,  and  perceived,  that  by  three  per- 
sons I  understood  three  proceeding  divine  attributes,  which 
are  creation,  redemption,  and  regeneration,  and  that  those 
attributes  belong  to  one  God ;  and  that  by  the  birth  of  the 
Son  of  God  from  eternity,  I  understood  His  birth  foreseen 
from  eternity,  and  provided  in  time.  I  then  acquainted  them, 
8 


86  A  BRIEF  EXPOSITION  OF  THE 

that  I  had  received  this  my  natural  idea  of  a  trinity  and  unity 
of  persons,  and  of  the  birth  of  the  Son  of  God  from  eternity, 
from  the  doctrine  of  faith  in  the  church,  that  has  its  name 
from  Athanasius ;  and  that  that  doctrine  is  right,  if  only  in- 
stead of  a  trinity  of  persons  is  substituted  therein  a  trinity  of 
person,  which  solely  exists  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ;  and  if, 
instead  of  the  birth  of  the  Son  of  God  from  eternity,  is  under- 
stood His  birth  foreseen  from  eternity,  and  provided  in  time, 
because  as  to  the  Humanity  which  He  assumed,  He  is  ex- 
pressly called  the  Son  of  God.  Then  the  angels  said, 
Well,  well ;  and  they  desired  me  to  declare  upon  their  testi- 
mony, that  whosoever  does  not  approach  the  real  God  of 
heaven  and  earth,  cannot  have  entrance  into  heaven,  inas- 
much as  heaven  is  heaven  from  that  God  only ;  and  that  that 
God  is  Jesus  Christ,  who  is  Jehovah  Lord,  from  eternity 
Creator,  in  time  Redeemer,  and  to  eternity  Regenerator ;  of 
consequence,  who  is  at  once  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost ; 
and  that  this  is  the  gospel,  which  is  to  be  preached.  After 
this,  the  heavenly  light,  which  I  had  before  seen  over  the 
aperture,  returned,  and  by  degrees  descended  thence,  and 
filled  the  interiors  of  my  mind,  and  illuminated  my  ideas  con- 
cerning the  unity  and  trinity  of  God  ;  and  then  I  perceived, 
that  the  ideas  which  I  had  originally  entertained  about  them, 
and  which  were  merely  natural,  were  separated,  as  chaff  is 
separated  from  the  wheat  by  winnowing,  and  that  they  were 
carried  away,  as  by  a  wind,  to  the  northern  part  of  heaven, 
and  there  disappeared. 

120.  The  Third  Memorable  Relation,  from  the  Apocalypse 
Revealed.  Inasmuch  as  the  Lord  has  favoured  me  with  a 
sight  of  the  wonderful  things  that  are  in  the  heavens,  and 
under  the  heavens,  it  is  therefore  my  duty,  in  the  discharge 
of  my  commission,  to  relate  what  I  have  seen.  There  was 
shown  me  a  magnificent  palace,  with  a  temple  in  its  inmost 
part,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  temple  was  a  table  of  gold,  on 
which  lay  the  Word,  and  two  angels  stood  beside  it.  About 
the  table  were  three  rows  of  seats ;  the  seats  of  the  first  row 
were  covered  with  silk  damask  of  a  purple  colour ;  the  seats 
of  the  second  row  with  silk  damask  of  a  blue  colour ;  and  the 
seats  of  the  third  row  with  white  cloth.  Below  the  roof,  high 
above  the  table,  there  was  seen  a  spreading  curtain,  which 
shone  with  precious  stones,  from  whose  lustre  there  issued 
forth  a  bright  appearance  as  of  a  rainbow,  when  the  firma- 
ment is  clear  and  serene  after  a  shower.  Then  suddenly 
there  appeared  a  number  of  clergy  sitting  on  the  seats,  all 


DOCTRINE  OF  THE  NEW  CHURCH.  87 

clothed  in  the  garments  of  their  sacerdotal  office.  On  one 
side  was  a  wardrobe,  where  stood  an  angel  who  had  the  care 
of  it,  and  within  lay  splendid  vestments  in  beautiful  order.  It 
was  a  Council  convened  by  the  Lord;  and  I  heard  a  voice 
from  heaven  saying,  Deliberate;  but  they  said,  on  what?  It 
was  said,  Concerning  the  Lord  the  Saviour,  and  concerning 
the  Holy  Spirit.  But  when  they  began  to  think  on  these 
subjects,  they  were  without  illustration  ;  wherefore  they  made 
supplication,  and  immediately  light  issued  down  out  of  heaven, 
which  first  illuminated  the  hinder  part  of  their  heads,  and 
afterwards  their  temples,  and  last  of  all  their  faces  ;  and  then 
they  began  their  deliberation,  and,  as  they  were  commanded, 
First,  concerning  the  Lord  the  Saviour.  The  first  proposition 
and  matter  of  inquiry  was,  who  assumed  the  Humanity  in  the 
Virgin  Mary  ?  And  the  angel  standing  at  the  table,  on  which 
the  Word  lay,  read  before  them  these  words  in  Luke :  "  The 
angel  said  unto  Mary,  Behold,  thou  shalt  conceive  in  thy  womb, 
and  bring  forth  a  Son,  and  shalt  call  His  name  Jesus ;  He 
shall  be  great,  and  shall  be  called  the  Son  of  the  Highest. 
And  Mary  said  to  the  angel,  How  shall  this  be,  seeing  I  know 
not  a  man  ?  And  the  angel  answering  said,  the  Holy  Spirit 
shall  come  upon  thee,  and  the  power  of  the  Highest  shall  over- 
shadow thee,  wherefore  also  that  Holy  Thing  which  shall  be  born 
of  thee  shall  be  called  the  Son  of  God;'  chap.  i.  31,  32,  34,  35. 
Then  he  also  read  from  the  20th  to  the  25th  verse  of  the  first 
chapter  of  Matthew,  and  when  he  came  to  the  25th  verse,  he 
uttered  it  with  a  loud  voice.  Besides  these  passages  he  read 
many  more  out  of  the  Evangelists,  as  Matt.  iii.  17,  chap, 
xvii.  5.  John  xx.  31 ;  and  several  other  places,  where  the 
Lord  as  to  His  Humanity  is  called  the  Son  of  God,  and  where 
He,  from  His  Humanity,  calls  Jehovah  His  Father;  and  also 
out  of  the  Prophets,  where  it  is  foretold  that  Jehovah  Himself 
should  come  into  the  world  ;  particularly  these  two  passages 
in  Isaiah :  "  It  shall  be  said  in  that  day,  lo  !  this  is  our  Gody 
whom  we  have  expected  to  deliver  us ;  this  is  Jehovah,  whom 
we  have  expected;  let  us  exult  and  be  glad  in  His  salvation" 
chap.  xxv.  9 :  "  The  voice  of  him  that  cricth  in  the  desert, 
prepare  ye  the  way  of  Jehovah,  make  straight  in  the  wilderness 
a  highway  for  our  God :  for  the  glory  of  Jehovah  shall  be  re- 
vealed ;  and  all  jlcsh  shall  see  it  together ;  behold,  the  Lord 
Jehovah  cometh  in  strength ;  He  shall  feed  His  flock  like  a 
shepherd,"  chap.  xl.  3,5,  10,  11.  And  the  angel  said,  inas- 
much as  Jehovah  Himself  came  into  the  world,  and  assumed 
the  Humanity,  whereby  He  has  redeemed  and  saved  men, 


88  A  BRIEF  EXPOSITION  OP  THE 

therefore  He  is  called  by  the  prophets  the  Saviour  and  the 
Redeemer;  and  then  he  read  before  them  the  following  pas- 
sages :  "  Surely  God  is  in  Thee,  and  there  is  no  God  beside  ; 
verily  Thou  art  a  God  that  hidest  Thyself,  O  God  of  Israel 
the  Saviour"  Isaiah  xlv.  14,  15  :  "Am  not  I  Jehovah?  and 
there  is  no  God  else  beside  Me ;  a  just  God,  and  there  is  no 
Saviour  beside  Me,"  chap.  xlv.  21 :  "  I am  Jehovah,  and  beside 
Me  there  is  no  Saviour,"  chap,  xliii.  11:  "  I  am  Jehovah 
thy  God,  and  thou  shalt  acknowledge  no  God  beside  Me,  and 
there  is  no  Saviour  beside  Me,"  Hosea  xiii.  4 :  "  That  all 
flesh  may  know,  that  I  Jehovah  am  thy  Saviour  and  thy  Re- 
deemer," Isaiah  xlix.  26.  chap.  Ix.  16:  "  As  for  our  Re- 
deemer, Jehovah  of  Hosts  is  His  name"  chap,  xlvii.  4. 
"  Their  Redeemer,  the  strong  Jehovah  of  Hosts  is  His  name," 
Jeremiah  1.  34  :  "  Jehovah  is  my  Rock  and  my  Redeemer" 
Psalm  xix.  14:  "Thus  saith  Jehovah  thy  Redeemer,  the 
Holy  One  of  Israel,  I  Jehovah  am  thy  God,"  Isaiah  xlviii. 
17.  chap,  xliii.  14,  chap.  xlix.  7,  chap.  liv.  8 :  "  Thou 
Jehovah  art  our  Father ;  our  Redeemer  from  the  age  is  Thy 
name,"  chap,  lxiii.  16  :  "  Thus  saith  Jehovah  thy  Redeemer, 
I  am  Jehovah  that  maketh  all  things,  and  alone  by  Myself" 
Isaiah  xliv.  24  :  "  Thus  saith  Jehovah  the  King  of  Israel, 
and  His  Redeemer  Jehovah  of  Hosts,  I  am  the  First  and  the 
Last,  and  beside  Me  there  is  no  God,"  chap.  xliv.  6 :  Jehovah 
of  Hosts  is  His  name,  and  thy  Redeemer  the  Holy  One  of 
Israel,  the  God  of  the  whole  earth  shall  He  be  called"  chap. 
liv.  5 :  "  Behold,  the  days  shall  come,  when  I  will  raise  unto 
David  a  righteous  branch,  who  shall  reign  a  King,  and  this 
is  His  name,  Jehovah  our  Righteousness,"  Jerem.  xxiii.  5, 
6:  chap,  xxxiii.  15,  16:  "In  that  day  Jehovah  shall  be 
King  over  all  the  earth ;  in  that  day  there  shall  be  one  Je- 
hovah, and  His  name  one"  Zech.  xiv.  9.  From  all  these 
passages  collected,  they  that  sat  on  the  seats  were  unanimously 
confirmed  in  this  opinion,  viz^  that  Jehovah  Himself  assumed 
the  Humanity,  for  the  purpose  of  redeeming  and  saving  man- 
kind. But  instantly  a  voice  was  heard  from  some  Roman 
Catholics,  who  had  hid  themselves  behind  the  altar,  saying, 
How  can  Jehovah  the  Father  become  a  man  ?  Is  He  not  the 
Creator  of  the  universe  ?  And  one  of  those  who  sat  on  the 
second  row  of  seats  turned  himself  towards  the  voice,  and 
said,  Who  was  it  then  ?  And  he  who-had  been  concealed  behind 
the  altar,  standing  then  near  the  altar,  replied,  The  Son  from 
eternity :  but  answer  was  returned,  Is  not  the  Son  from  eternity, 
according  to  your  own  confession,  also  the  Creator  of  the 


DOCTRINE  OP  THE  NEW  CHURCH.  89 

universe?  And  what  is  a  Son,  or  a  God,  born  from  eternity? 
And  how  is  it  possible  for  the  Divine  Essence,  which  is  one 
and  indivisible,  to  be  separated,  so  that  one  part  can  descend, 
without  the  whole  ?  The  second  matter  of  inquiry  concerning 
the  Lord  was,  whether  or  no,  according  to  this  reasoning, 
the  Father  and  He  are  one,  as  the  soul  and  the  body  are  one? 
And  they  said,  that  this  must  follow  of  consequence,  inas- 
much as  the  soul  is  from  the  Father.  Then  one  of  those, 
who  sat  on  the  third  row  of  seats,  read  out  of  the  Confession 
of  Faith,  called  the  Athanasian  Creed,  the  following  passage : 
"Although  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  is  God 
and  Man,  yet  He  is  not  two,  but  one  Christ ;  yea,  He  is  in 
every  respect  one,  being  one  person ;  for  as  the  soul  and  body 
make  one  man,  so  God  and  man  are  one  Christ."  He  added, 
that  this  faith  is  received  throughout  the  whole  Christian 
world,  even  by  the  Roman  Catholics.  Then  they  said,  what 
need  have  we  of  further  proof?  God  the  Father  and  He  are 
one,  as  the  soul  and  body  are  one ;  and  since  this  is  the  case, 
we  perceive  that  the  Humanity  of  the  Lord  is  Divine,  be- 
cause it  is  the  Humanity  of  Jehovah ;  likewise  that  the  Lord 
ought  to  be  approached  as  to  His  Divine  Humanity  ;  and  that 
thus  and  in  no  other  possible  way  can  access  be  had  to  the 
Divinity  which  is  called  the  Father.  This  conclusion  of 
theirs  the  angel  confirmed  by  several  passages  out  of  the 
Word  ;  amongst  which  were  these :  in  Isaiah  :  "  Unto  us  a 
Child  is  born,  unto  us  a  Son  is  given,  whose  name  shall  be, 
Wonderful,  Counsellor,  God,  Hero,  Father  of  Eternity, 
Prince  of Peace,"  chap.  ix.  5:  again:  "Abraham  knoweth 
us  not,  and  Israel  doth  not  acknowledge  us ;  Thou  Jehovah  art 
our  Father,  our  Redeemer,  from  the  age  is  Thy  name,"  chap, 
lxiii.  16  :  and  in  John  :  "  Jesus  said,  he  that  believeth  on  Me, 
believeth  on  Him  that  sent  Me,  and  he  that  seeth  Me,  seeth 
Him  that  sent  Me,"  John  xii.  44,  45 ;  "  Philip  said  unto 
Jesus,  show  us  the  Father;  Jesus  saith  unto  him,  he  that  seeth 
Me,  seeth  the  Father;  how  then  say  est  thou,  show  us  the  Far 
titer;  believest  thou  not  that  I  am  in  the  Father,  and  the 
Father  in  Me,  believe  Me  that  I  am  in  the  Father,  and  the 
Father  in  Me,"  John  xiv.  8,  9 :  "  Jesus  said,  I  and  the 
Father  are  one,"  chap.  x.  30 :  and  again  :  "  All  things  that 
the  Father  hath  are  Mine,  and  all  Mine  are  the  Father's" 
chap.  xvi.  15,  chap.  xvii.  10 :  lastly  :  "  Jesus  said,  I  am 
the  way,  the  truth,  and  the  life ;  no  one  cometh  to  the  Father 
but  by  Me,"  chap.  xvi.  6.  When  the  angel  had  ended,  they 
all  declared  with  one  mouth  and  one  heart,  that  the  Humanity 
8* 


90  A  BRIEF  EXPOSITION  OF  THE 

of  the  Lord  is  Divine,  and  that  this  ought  to  be  approached  in 
order  to  come  at  the  Father  ;  inasmuch  as  Jehovah  God,  who 
is  the  Lord  from  eternity,  by  the  Humanity  sent  Himself  into 
the  world,  and  made  Himself  visible  to  mankind,  and  thereby 
gave  them  access  unto  Him.  In  like  manner  He  made  Him- 
self visible  to  men  of  old  time,  in  a  human  form,  and  so  gave 
them  access  unto  Him  ;  but  then  it  was  by  means  of  an  angel. 
After  this  they  proceeded  to  deliberate  about  the  Holy 
Spirit;  and  previous  thereto,  they  laid  open  the  idea  gener- 
ally received  concerning  God  the,  Father,  the  Son,  and  the 
Holy  Spirit,  which  is,  that  God  the  Father  is  seated  on  high, 
with  the  Son  at  His  right  hand,  and  that  by  them  is  sent  forth 
the  Holy  Spirit,  to  enlighten  and  instruct  mankind.  But  in- 
stantly a  voice  was  heard  from  heaven,  saying,  we  cannot  en- 
dure an  idea  formed  on  such  a  conception  ;  who  does  not 
know,  that  Jehovah  God  is  omnipresent?  And  whosoever 
knows  and  acknowledges  this  truth,  must  also  acknowledge, 
that  it  is  He  who  enlightens  and  instructs ;  and  that  there  is 
not  a  mediating  God  distinct  from  Him  ;  much  less  is  there  a 
third  God  distinct  from  two  others,  as  one  person  is  distinct 
from  another  person  ;  wherefore  let  the  former  idea,  which  is 
vain  and  frivolous,  be  removed,  and  let  this,  which  is  just  and 
right,  be  received,  and  then  you  will  see  clearly.  But  im- 
mediately a  voice  was  heard  again  from  the  Roman  Catholics, 
who  had  concealed  themselves  behind  the  altar  of  the  temple, 
saying,  what  then  is  the  Holy  Spirit,  mentioned  in  the  writings 
of  the  Evangelists,  and  Paul,  by  whom  so  many  learned  men 
among  the  clergy,  and  particularly  of  our  church,  profess 
themselves  to  be  guided  ?  What  person  in  Christendom  at  this 
day  denies  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  His  operations?  Upon  this  one 
who  sat  on  the  second  row  of  seats,  turned  towards  the  altar, 
and  said,  ye  insist  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  a  distinct  person  of 
Himself,  and  a  distinct  God  of  Himself;  but  what  is  a  person 
coming  forth  and  proceeding  from  a  person,  except  the  opera- 
tion which  comes  forth  and  proceeds?  One  person  cannot 
come  forth  and  proceed  from  another,  by  another,  but  opera- 
tion can ;  or  what  is  a  God  coming  forth  and  proceeding  from 
a  God,  but  the  Divine  Principle  which  comes  forth  and  pro- 
ceeds? One  God  cannot  come  forth  and  proceed  from  an- 
other, by  another,  but  what  is  Divine  may  come  forth  and  pro- 
ceed from  one  God.  Is  not  the  Divine  Essence  one  and  in- 
divisible ?  and  inasmuch  as  the  Divine  Essence  or  the  Divine 
Esse  is  God,  is  not  God  therefore  one  and  indivisible  ?  On 
hearing  these  words,  they  that  sat  on  the  seats  unanimously 


DOCTRINE    OF    THE    NEW    CHURCH.  91 

agreed  in  this  conclusion,  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  not  a  distinct 
person  of  Himself,  consequently  not  a  distinct  God  of  Himself; 
but  that  by  the  Holy  Spirit  is  meant  the  Divine  Sanctity  com- 
ing forth  and  proceeding  from  the  one  only  omnipresent  God, 
who  is  the  Lord.  To  this  the  angels,  who  stood  at  the  golden 
table,  whereon  the  Word  was  placed,  said,  Well;  it  is  not 
written  in  any  part  of  the  Old  Testament,  that  the  prophets 
spake  the  Word  from  the  Holy  Spirit,  but  from  Jehovah  the 
Lord ;  and  wherever  the  Holy  Spirit  is  mentioned  in  the  New 
Testament,  it  signifies  the  Divine  Proceeding,  which  is  the 
Divine  Principle  that  enlightens,  instructs,  vivifies,  reforms  and 
regenerates.  After  this  came  on  another  subject  of  inquiry, 
respecting  the  Holy  Spirit,  viz.  From  whom  proceeds  the 
Divine  Principle  which  is  called  the  Holy  Spirit ;  whether 
from  the  Divine  which  is  called  the  Father,  or  from  the 
Divine  Human  which  is  called  the  Son?  And  whilst  they 
were  engaged  in  this  inquiry,  there  shone  a  light  from  heav- 
en, whereby  they  saw,  that  the  Divine  Sanctity,  which  is 
signified  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  proceeds  from  the  Divine  in  the 
Lord  by  His  glorified  Humanity,  which  is  the  Divine  Hu- 
manity, comparatively  as  all  activity  proceeds  from  the  soul  by 
the  body  with  man.  This  the  angel  who  stood  at.  the  table  con- 
firmed by  the  following  passages  :  "  He,  whom  the  Father  hath 
sent,  speakcth  the  words  of  God ;  He  hath  not  given  the  Spirit 
by  measure  unto  Him ;  the  Father  lovcth  the  Son,  and  hath 
given  all  things  into  His  hand,"  John  iii.  34,  35  :  "  There 
shall  come  forth  a  rod  out  of  the  stem  of  Jesse,  the  Spirit  of 
Jehovah  shall  rest  upon  Him,  the  Spirit  of  Wisdom  and  Un- 
derstanding, the  Spirit  of  Counsel  and  Might,"  Isaiah  xi.  1, 
2  :  "  That  the  Spirit  of  Jehovah  was  put  upon  Him,  and  was 
in  Him,"  chap.  xlii.  l,chap.  lix.  19,  21,  chap.  lxi.  1.  Luke 
iv.  18  :  "  When  the  Holy  Spirit  shall  come,  whom  I  will  send 
unto  you  from  the  Father,"  John  xv.  26  :  "He  shall  glorify  Mc, 
for  He  shall  receive  of  Mine,  and  shall  show  it  unto  you  ;  all 
things  that  the  Father  hath  are  Mine,  wherefore  I  said,  that 
He  shall  receive  of  Mine,  and  shall  shoic  it  unto  you,"  John 
xvi.  14,  15  :  "  If  I  go  away,  I  will  send  the  Comforter  unto 
you,"  John  xvi.  7 :  "  The  Comforter  is  the  Holy  Spirit,"  John 
xiv.  26  :  "  The  Holy  Spirit  was  not  yet,  because  Jesus  was  not 
yet  glorified"  John  vii.  39  :  but  after  His  glorification,  "Jesus 
breathed  on  His  disciples,  and  said,  Receive  ye  the  Holy  Spir- 
it," John  xx.  22 :  and  in  the  Apocalypse  :  "  Who  shall  not  glo- 
rify Thy  name,  OLord,  because  Thou  Alone  art  Holy,"  chap. 
xv.  4.  Inasmuch  as  the  Divine  Operation  of  the  Lord,  by  virtue 


92  A  BRIEF  EXPOSITION,  &,C. 

of  His  divine  omnipresence,  is  signified  by  the  Holy  Spirit, 
therefore  when  the  Lord  spake  to  His  disciples  concerning 
the  Holy  Spirit,  whom  He  would  send  from  God  the  Father, 
He  also  said,  "  I  will  not  leave  you  comfortless ;  I  go  away  and 
come  again  unto  you  ;  and  in  that  day  ye  shall  know,  that  I 
am  in  My  Father ,  and  ye  in  Me,  and  I  in  you"  John  xiv. 
18,  20,  28 :  and  just  before  His  departure  out  of  world,  He 
said,  "  IuO  !  I  am  with  you  all  the  days,  even  to  the  consum- 
mation of  the  age,"  Matt,  xxviii.  20.  Having  read  these 
words  in  their  presence,  the  angels  said,  From  these,  and 
many  other  passages  in  the  Word,  it  is  evident,  that  the 
Divine  Principle  which  is  called  the  Holy  Spirit,  proceeds 
from  the  Divine  in  the  Lord  by  His  Divine  Human.  Where- 
upon they  that  sat  on  the  seats  all  exclaimed,  This  is  Divine 
Truth. 

Lastly,  this  decree  was  passed :  That  from  what  has  been 
deliberated  in  this  council,  we  clearly  see,  and  of  consequence 
acknowledge  as  holy  truth,  that  in  the  Lord  God  the  Saviour 
Jesus  Christ  there  is  a  Divine  Trinity,  consisting  of  the  All- 
begetting  Divinity  which  is  called  Father,  the  Divine  Hu- 
manity which  is  the  Son,  and  the  Divine  Proceeding  which 
is  the  Holy  Spirit :  then  they  lifted  up  their  voices  together, 
saying,  "  In  Jesus  Christ  dwelleth  all  the  fullness  of  the  Di- 
vinity bodily,"  Col.  ii.  9,  Thus  there  is  One  God  in  the 
church. 

When  these  conclusions  were  determined  in  that  magnifi- 
cent council,  they  rose  up  to  depart;  and  the  angel,  the 
keeper  of  the  wardrobe,  presented  to  each  of  them  who  sat 
on  the  seats,  splendid  garments,  interwoven  here  and  there 
with  threads  of  gold,  and  said,  Receive  ye  these  ivcdding 
garments.  And  they  were  conducted  in  a  glorious  manner  to 
the  New  Christian  Heaven,  with  which  the  church  of  the 
Lord  on  earth,  which  is  the  New  Jerusalem,  will  be  in  con- 
junction. 


ZECHARIAH,  chap.  xiv.  ver.  7,  8,  9. 

It  shall  be  one  day  which  is  known  to  Jehovah,  not  day  nor 
night,  for  about  evening-time  it  shall  be  light.  It  shall  come 
to  pass  in  that  day,  living  icatcrs  shall  go  out  from  Jerusalem : 
and  Jehovah  shall  be  King  over  all  the  earth  :  in  that  day 
there  shall  be  One  Jehovah,  and  His  name  One. 

EM). 


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